Widespread wildfire smoke prompts air quality alerts in Manitoba
Smoke from wildfires is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility in parts of Manitoba, prompting alerts from Environment Canada.
Warm and dry conditions are expected through the week, continuing the conditions that fuel wildfires, the weather agency's forecast says. However, the dangerously-high winds are not expected.
On the flipside, though, the lighter winds mean the smoke will linger for a prolonged period.
An air quality warning has been issued for southeast Manitoba, stretching from Manigotagan on the east side of Lake Winnipeg south to East Braintree, and from about 40 kilometres east of Winnipeg to the Ontario border.
It includes:
Bissett.
Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake.
Powerview-Pine Falls.
Seven Sisters Falls.
Nopiming Provincial Park.
Pointe du Bois.
Rural municipality of Alexander.
RM of Lac Du Bonnet.
RM of Reynolds.
Ste. Rita.
Hadashville.
Rennie.
RM of Victoria Beach.
RM of Whitemouth, including Elma.
Shoal Lake First Nations.
The fire in Nopiming Provincial Park, the largest of 15 wildfires currently burning in the province, remains listed as out of control at 115,100 hectares, according to Manitoba's FireView map.
Environment Canada urges people to limit time outdoors and to consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor activities and events.
Mild and common symptoms from poor air quality involve eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a moderate cough. More serious symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough.
When indoors, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible.
If you must spend time outdoors, a well-fitting respirator-type mask (N95 or equivalent) can reduce exposure to the fine particles in the smoke, the weather agency says.
A special air quality statement covers much of northern Manitoba, from the tip of Lake Winnipeg to the Nunavut border and across to the Saskatchewan border.
The only northern section not covered by the statement is the northeast corner, including Churchill, Gillam, Samattawa and the Island Lake communities.
Environment Canada issued the same health warnings for the regions under the air quality statement as those under the warning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
37 minutes ago
- CTV News
Cranberry Portage to begin re-entry following wildfire evacuation
CTV's Taylor Brock has more on the struggle for wildfire evacuees to find accommodations. A Manitoba community evacuated due to wildfires has a re-entry plan in place for the weekend. The RM of Kelsey announced Wednesday it is planning to allow re-entry to the community of Cranberry Portage starting Saturday at 8 a.m. The community posted on its Facebook page that residents should ensure they have stocked up on groceries and have all their belongings packed before they return. The RM says Hydro and telephones are functioning normally and testing of water and sewage has been completed to ensure water is safe to drink and use. According to the province's fire bulletin, a fire south of Cranberry Portage is 4,920 hectares in size and considered out of control. There are 25 active wildfires burning in Manitoba as of Wednesday.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Marking 75 years since the flood of 1950 in Winnipeg
Around this time in 1950, a large swath of Winnipeg was under water. It was a flood that left many displaced and is seen as one of the worst floods in Winnipeg's history.
Calgary Herald
an hour ago
- Calgary Herald
Feeling hazy because of the smoke? Here's why
With seasonal wildfire smoke rolling into Calgary, residents often have questions about all the things that come with it. Article content On June 11, Environment Canada issued an air quality warning for Calgary between the AQHI categories of 7 and 10 over the last 24 hours. Article content Article content But what does that mean? How are these measured? And how does it affect the health and safety of Calgarians? Experts from across the province explain how air quality is measured and the risks that come with it. Article content Article content Article content Christy Climenhaga, a scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said that Canada's Air Quality Health Index serves as a way to help evaluate the adverse effects of wildfire smoke. Article content The index itself ranges from one to 10-plus, with different brackets indicating each risk factor. For example, indexes between one to three indicate a low risk, four to six indicate a moderate risk, and seven to 10 indicate a high risk. Article content 'So, the higher the number, the higher the risk,' Climenhaga said. 'When you're looking at seven, eight, nine, you are in that high risk category, while 10 and 10-plus are very high risk in terms of negative health effects from wildfire smoke.' Article content The rating is determined by looking at the fine particulate matter. This matter is also known as PM2.5, which is extremely small particles in the air. It measures around 2.5 micrometers, and cannot be seen by the human eye. Article content Article content Article content Based on their observations, Climenhaga said a number of fires over northern Alberta and B.C. have lofted heavy plumes of smoke into the atmosphere. Additionally, a large and intense plume of smoke that stretches across all of Alberta and Saskatchewan are contributing to the smoke that is arriving in Calgary. Article content 'It's likely going to keep going to be a smoky day today, and we are starting to see some changes in our long-range forecasts, indicating a little smoke on Thursday, then starting to clear out on Friday,' she said.
