Southern Ontario wakes up to poor air quality on Friday with more wildfire smoke

Southern Ontario is once again under a special air quality statement from Environment Canada on Friday morning due to smoke from wildfires.

For the third straight day, the weather agency said the smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility.

The warning was anticipated. On Thursday, the agency had said: “High levels of air pollution due to smoke from forest fires is expected tonight into Friday and possibly into Saturday.”

The alert stretches from Windsor and London across the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Niagara, towards Ottawa and north to Barrie and cottage country. Sault Ste. Marie and Manitoulin Island are also under the special air quality statement.

Environment Canada said smoke plumes from forest fires over northeastern Ontario and Quebec will return to southern Ontario Friday night “resulting in deteriorated air quality once again.”

“Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” the weather agency noted.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre says there were 499 active fires burning across the country as of Thursday afternoon, with about 230 of them out of control.

It says 106 of the active forest fires are in Quebec and 67 are in Ontario.

As of 7 a.m. Friday, Toronto was in the top spot for the worst air quality in the world among major cities.

Here is a list of areas in Ontario under the special air quality statement on Friday:

• City of Toronto, Ont.
• Vaughan – Richmond Hill – Markham, Ont.
• City of Hamilton, Ont.
• Innisfil – New Tecumseth – Angus, Ont.
• Caledon, Ont.
• Mississauga – Brampton, Ont.
• Halton Hills – Milton, Ont.
• Burlington – Oakville, Ont.
• St. Catharines – Grimsby – Northern Niagara Region, Ont.
• Niagara Falls – Welland – Southern Niagara Region, Ont.
• Searchmont – Montreal River Harbour – Batchawana Bay, Ont.
• Sault Ste. Marie – St. Joseph Island, Ont.
• Blind River – Thessalon, Ont.
• Manitoulin Island, Ont.

— with files from The Canadian Press