There is a haze hanging over Mission as smoke keeps blowing into the region from wildfires elsewhere in B.C.
On Monday morning, the air was filled with the smell of smoke.
An air quality advisory has been issued for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. The advisory is expected to remain in effect until there’s a change in the current weather pattern. Hot, sunny weather is currently forecast to persist through the week.
The number of patients coming in with respitory issues across the Fraser Health region has increased in the past few days. However, Fraser Health Authority spokesperson Tasleem Juma said they don’t track the numbers by hospital, so she cannot tell if Mission has experienced a major increase or not.
“The challenge is people may come due to a lot of different reasons. It could be due to the air quality or it could be heat related, or some other illness related.”
All she could confirm is there has been an increase across the region.
People with chronic underlying medical conditions should postpone strenuous exercise until the advisory is lifted.
Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have diabetes, and lung or heart disease.
Smoke has been coming from fires as close as one that broke out earlier today on Burnaby Mountain to several on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and west of Pemberton.
According to B.C.’s Air Quality Health Index, Lower Mainland air quality was expected to be worst in the Fraser Valley, Squamish and Whistler by Monday.
