Thick smoke from forest fires in B.C. blankets Nanaimo Monday afternoon.

Thick smoke from forest fires in B.C. blankets Nanaimo Monday afternoon.

Interior wildfire smoke blankets Nanaimo

NANAIMO – Ministry of Environment and Island Health issue wildfire smoke advisory for Island.

Island Health and the Ministry of Environment have issued a wildfire smoke advisory communities from Campbell River to Victoria currently under a thick pall of smoke.

Nanaimo residents woke up to orange skies Saturday morning when smoke and ash generated by wildfires in the B.C. interior and from a fire in Sechelt settled in over the Island.

A wildfire smoke advisory issued Sunday cautioned people to avoid strenuous activities outdoors. Smoke and ash particles can be particularly concerning for infants and the elderly who might already have underlying medical issues.

Nanaimo’s air quality was rated as a moderate health risk Monday, according to B.C. Air Quality, a division of the provincial Ministry of Environment.

Environment Canada predicted sunny skies and only locally generated smoke in the air today (July 7) as wind patterns were expected to shift overnight.

For more information, please visit www.bcairquality.ca.

Nanaimo News Bulletin