Kamloops hit by Alberta wildfire smoke

Air quality in Kamloops took a dive this morning as wildfire smoke from Alberta settled into the Thompson Valley.

Smoke forecasts suggest it was blown southwest from wildfires in the Grande Prairie area, but it will start heading north again tomorrow, May 18.

People in the Kamloops area are only at a "moderate risk" until at least Thursday night, according to Environment Canada.

The general population shouldn't need to adjust their outdoor activities, but people at-risk for heart and lung conditions should be mindful of any symptoms for the next few days, according to the Environment Canada website.

The BC Wildfire Service smoke forecast shows most of the smoke coming southwest from Alberta will settle into the Thompson Valley before it begins to dissipate and move northwest.

Air quality monitors suggest higher elevation neighbourhoods like Aberdeen are the hardest hit, where at least twice as many fine air particles are being measured compared to some measurements downtown, according to University of Northern B.C. data.

That same dataset shows higher elevation air monitors into the Okanagan, like one at Silver Star, are also measuring poor air quality. However, most of the Okanagan is at a very low risk and likely won't see heavy smoke this week.

Alberta has been hit hard by wildfires this season, with 92 active fires and hundreds of thousands of hectares burned so far.

B.C. has 62 active fires, with 43 of those in the Prince George fire centre. There are just four currently burning in the Kamloops fire centre, according to the wildfire service.

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