Smoke turns Kamloops skies orange as air quality reaches very high risk
Kamloops wildfire smoke pushed air quality to 10+ as orange skies settled in. See what officials say about the risk, source fire and how long warnings may last.
Wildfire smoke drifted into Kamloops on Tuesday afternoon, turning the sky orange and pushing air quality into the very high risk range, according to Environment Canada.
The smoke came from the Brunswick Creek fire near Boston Bar, about 120 kilometres away, and was carried into the B.C. Interior by westerly winds. When the winds eased overnight, the smoke remained trapped in the valley.
Environment Canada said the Air Quality Health Index rose from low risk to high risk within an hour on Tuesday evening before reaching 10+, and it stayed near that level into Wednesday morning. Officials advised residents to limit strenuous outdoor activity, and warnings were expected to remain in place for at least two more days.