Hazy skies in Calgary as Grande Prairie, Fort Nelson fires rage

Calgary is waking up to another morning of haze, a wildfires continue to rage near Grande Prairie and Fort Nelson, B.C.

This comes after the weekend’s special air quality statement was lifted on Sunday afternoon.

The situation has improved since the weekend, as the Calgary area is currently pegged on the ‘low’ end of firesmoke.ca‘s particulate matter scale, and ECCC has the air quality at 4.4 or moderate.

“The smoke’s remaining over the northern part of the province, air quality statements are out for Peace River, Fort McMurray, and north,” ECCC meteorologist Chris Wielki said. “So, unless the winds shift more to the north, then it looks like Calgary should be good for the short term, the next few days.”

But, with several massive fires burning north and west of the city, all it takes is some strong southern wind to bring the smoke back.

Wielki says it’s hard to predict air quality changes, but conditions will likely stay this way for a couple of days, even though the city is in for an afternoon thunderstorm Monday.

“Air quality can vary quite a bit into the wildfire season, a little bit of smoke can easily put the air quality into a poor value,” he explained. “So, it’s tough to say what a normal value would be.”

The Alberta Lung Association warns that asthmatics and anyone with COPD are at higher risk of attack when smoke is present, so it’s a good idea for those individuals to keep their inhalers close this week.

However, poor air quality can impact anyone, and the most common symptoms tend to be itchy noses and eyes, and headaches.

Calgarians are advised to avoid exercising outdoors and keep the windows of their home closed during smoky periods.