Environment Canada says air quality advisories posted across most of British Columbia since last week should spread east across Alberta due to wildfire smoke from the United States.
The forecast for Clearwater is calling for “local smoke” and a special air quality statement is in effect for the North Thompsomn region.
The Government of B.C. released a bulletin on Sept. 11 to advise of the increased smoke in many parts of the southern half of the province. Another bulletin is expected later today (Sept. 14).
The Kamloops region is marked as a 10+ or at very high risk in terms of air quality.
Relief will not come as quickly for B.C. residents, with the air quality index showing smoky conditions will improve only marginally by Tuesday.
The index uses a scale of one to 10 to rank risk from stagnant or smoky air and currently lists the risk at 10-plus for all but the northern quarter of B.C.
A dense, fog-like haze shrouds many cities, from Victoria and Vancouver east to Kelowna, Kamloops and the Kootenay region, turning day into a misty, smoke-tainted twilight.
The smoke comes from hundreds of wildfires burning in Washington state, Oregon and California, that have destroyed whole communities and killed at least 35 people.
PHOTO: Satellite imagery shows origin of wildfire smoke
VIDEO: California wildfires growing bigger, moving faster than ever
With files from The Canadian Press
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