DailyExpertNews
—
Wildfires in British Columbia and Washington state have prompted an air quality advisory for metro Vancouver, according to a press release from the Metro Vancouver district.
The smoke contributes to high concentrations of particulate matter in the area, which pose the greatest health risk, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Local Canadian officials have urged residents to “delay or reduce outdoor physical activity while PM2.5 concentrations are high, especially if breathing feels uncomfortable.”
Particulate matter, also called PM 2.5, refers to solid or liquid droplets in the air with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, the press release stated. That’s 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, according to the US EPA. PM 2.5 can easily penetrate indoors due to its small size, according to the press release.
According to Vancouver officials, stagnant weather conditions are expected to continue in the coming days, meaning air quality is unlikely to change either.
“Smoke concentrations can vary widely across the region as wind and temperature change and as wildfire behavior changes,” said Metro Vancouver’s press release.
There are currently nine active wildfires in Washington, according to a Friday update from Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. This includes the Cedar Creek Fire, which is 40% contained. It has burned 122,794 acres since it began on Aug. 1, according to the Incident Information System.
There is also smoke from a wildfire on Cypress Mountain, a popular ski resort in West Vancouver, “adding to the hazy conditions already experienced in Metro Vancouver,” the press release said.
Due to unusually hot and dry conditions, Metro Vancouver officials have also extended restrictions on watering lawns from Saturday to Oct. 31 to better conserve the region’s drinking water,” said a Metro Vancouver water conservation advisory.