Smoky skies bulletin expanded to rest of Okanagan, Shuswap

It looks like the smoke from wildfires burning in the South Okanagan and Washington state is on the move.

For the last few days, a smoky skies bulletin has been in effect for the very far reaches of the South Okanagan but now Environment Canada is expanding it to cover the rest of the Okanagan, the Shuswap and the Boundary region.

The weather office says a change in the weather is to blame.

The “smoke transport models” used by the meteorologists at Environment Canada show smoke from the Eagle Bluff fire near Oliver and wildfires burning in Washington state is moving further into B.C.

Smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary quite a bit from hour to hour, the bulletin states.

The bulletin goes on to say that while wildfire smoke is part of the environment, exposure to smoke can affect your health, especially those with pre-existing health conditions, the elderly, pregnant women and infants, children, and sensitive individuals.

For the very latest on air quality in your area check out this B.C. government website.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander or call 250-309-5343 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.