The skies in and around Calgary continue to be obscured, with wildfire smoke moving in on Thursday following a period of heavy rain.
Midday Thursday, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a special air quality statement for Calgary.
ECCC warns the smoke is expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility. It advised people to take action to protect their health and reduce exposure to the smoke.
At noon, the air quality health index was measured at eight, or high risk.
“People with lung disease (such as asthma) or heart disease, older adults, children, pregnant people, and people who work outdoors are at higher risk of experiencing health effects caused by wildfire smoke,” the federal agency advises.
Symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, dizziness or chest pains during outdoor activities should be stopped, ECCC said, and medical advice should be sought.
For those who must spend time outdoors, the use of a well-fitted respirator like a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent to filter the fine particles is advised.
Indoor air can be cleaned using an air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
The warning for Calgary followed a similar one for Rocky View County and Cochrane, Alta.
On Thursday, Alberta Wildfire reported 76 blazes in the province. This spring has set a record for the amount of land burned in wildfires in a single year.
The B.C. Wildfire Service also reported 89 wildfires in that province on Thursday.
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