Air quality warning issued for Calgary due to wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke from the north has reached Calgary and is prompting a health warning by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued an air quality warning for Calgary on Tuesday morning as wildfire smoke blanketed much of the Prairies.

The warning stretched from Yellowknife to Calgary and as far east as Saskatchewan.

As of 6 a.m., several cities, including Calgary and Edmonton, were reporting an air quality health index of 10+, as high as the scale goes.

“Symptoms like a headache, irritation in your sinuses, in your throat, a cough, a milder cough. But there are more serious side effects like asthma attacks, dizziness, wheezing and chest pains,” said Christy Climenhaga, Environment and Climate Change Canada scientist.

ECCC advises people to limit their exposure and avoid strenuous activity outside.

It says people with chronic lung conditions, children, pregnant people and seniors are more sensitive to air pollution.

“As of midnight last night (Tuesday), we were at 52 hours of smoke. To put that in perspective, last year over the course of the entire wildfire season to the end of October, we saw 200 hours. We’ve seen quite a bit less so far. 2023 was our smokiest year on record with 512 hours in the Calgary area,” said Climenhaga.

The smoke is being carried down from the Northwest Territories via a cold front.

An NWT wildfire officer says the main fire is burning 100,000 hectares of land, which is larger than the size of Calgary.

It’s being held just 900 metres outside the town of Fort Providence, and forced hundreds of people from their homes on Sunday.

Alberta structure protection specialists are helping battle the blaze.

“There’s a lot of people watching from away from their homes right now, and I just want to voice our commitment to working to make your community safe again. To get you home soon, as safely as possible, and eliminate these wildfire threats to your communities,” said Mike Westwick, Northwest Territories wildfire information officer.