Although the sky above Smithers appears laden with smoke, air quality in town is thus far not affected.
However, the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Northern Health Authority has issued a Smoke Advisory for Houston and Burns Lake because of forest fire smoke originating in Morice Lake Provincial Park. Smoke concentrations will vary widely as winds, fire behaviour and temperatures change. This situation is expected to persist until Tuesday.
Avoid strenuous outdoor activities. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, contact your health care provider: difficulty in breathing, chest pain or discomfort, and sudden onset of cough or irritation of airways. Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, and lung or heart disease.
Forecast winds today are from the west, changing to the west-northwest this afternoon. This may cause smoke to drift towards Burns Lake, though small-scale channelling could cause more smoke to flow down the Morice Valley towards Houston and the Bulkley Valley.