Much of B.C. remains under a special air quality statement from Environment Canada Friday (Sept. 5).
With several wildfires burning out of control in the southern half of the province, the majority of B.C. is currently being impacted by wildfire smoke in the next 24 to 48 hours, according to the statement issued in the early hours of Friday. Environment Canada adds that with wildfires, smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour.
People can also check for air quality warnings from the provincial government at aqwarnings.gov.bc.ca/warnings/2025-09-04_wildfire_smoke_issue.html.
Officials warned about the impacts of smoke and smoky skies during a wildfire briefing from the provincial government on Wednesday.
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said Wednesday that smoke was also expected to be a major factor in wildfire response in the next 24 to 72 hours. Parmar added more smoke is expected in central and southern Interior by Wednesday evening or Thursday and reach coastal B.C. by Friday.
While smoke is coming from B.C. wildfires, the forests minister added the smoky skies are also coming from wildfires in both the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Sarah Henderson, the scientific director of environmental health services at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, said both heat and wildfires are stressors on the body.
"Simply put, heat makes wildfire smoke makes heat worse, so when those two things happen together, we see a bigger impact that when either of them is happening alone."
Henderson said that with the smoke, there is gasses and fine particles interacting with the lungs and causing irritation and inflammation that can affect the lungs and the entire body.
"Most people will only have mild symptoms from wildfire smoke, maybe a sore throat, stinging eyes, a bit of a headache," Henderson said, adding the symptoms will generally go away when the smoke does.
But she added some people may develop more severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or a tight chest.
People may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough. If you think you are having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical assistance.
People are also more likely to be impacted by outdoor air pollution, including people aged 65 and older, pregnant people, infants and young children, people with an existing illness or chronic health condition, and people who work outdoors, should reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms.
When indoors, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. When there is an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool.
