Smoke from B.C. choking eastern provinces, damaging air quality
Haze is reducing visibility, carries a strong smell, and poses a health risk 
By Vivian Luk, Vancouver
Sun August 21, 2010 VANCOUVER — Clouds of stinking smoke from B.C. forest fires covered much of Western Canada on Friday, reducing visibility and sparking air-quality advisories. Cooler weather and a chance of showers could ease some of B.C.’s wildfire activity this weekend, but the smoke is expected to remain, Environment Canada said. “We’ve got these massive fires and huge plumes of smoke coming from the Interior of the province … and the winds from the west are pushing it right across the Prairies to Manitoba,” meteorologist David Jones said. Massive columns of grey smoke filled the sky above the Binta Lake wildfire, south of Burns Lake, and could be seen from hundreds of kilometres away, fire information officer Gwen Eamer said. A cold front that swept through B.C’s central Interior late in the week brought winds that fanned existing wildfires and lightning that sparked 11 new fires, Eamer said Friday. There were 264 wildfires burning in B.C., and blazes have so far destroyed 271,600 hectares, including 70,000 hectares in the last 48 hours. “To put it into perspective, the 10-year average for [total hectares burned by this time of the year] is 90,000 hectares,” Eamer said. The heavy smoke drifting across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba reduced visibility and emitted a strong smell. Environment Canada issued an air-quality advisory for central Alberta on Thursday, and for southern and western Saskatchewan on Friday. Around Edmonton, visibility was reduced to five kilometres, Jones said. “On Thursday, Kamloops looked like a fog bank, it was so bad. There was one mile of visibility in pretty dense smoke.” In Calgary, the skyline was barely visible beneath the haze. Resident Dominic Filocha said the city smelled like “a barbecue being fired up.” … At Williams Lake, the air quality health index was rated 10 on a scale from one to 10, where 10 represents the highest risk to public health. Officials at Cariboo Memorial Hospital shut off all external fans and asked visitors to stay away so doors could be kept closed. The emergency and main entrances were closed and all elective surgeries were postponed. Emergency access was through a side door. …
Smoke from B.C. choking eastern provinces, damaging air quality via Wit’s End
In Kamsack, Sk. it has been very smokey for the last few days. I usually like to ride my bicycle or at least go outdoors but the air quality is too poor here. I can only imagine how bad it is as you get closer to the fires!