The air quality advisory has been continued for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley regions, as wildfire smoke from Washington State continues to drift across the border.
However, although the advisory remains in place for “fine particular matter," the regional district is cancelling the ground-level ozone advisory.
The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MV) said Thursday that, while air quality is good this morning, wildfire smoke from fires in Washington and Oregon are expected to intermittently impact the region throughout today and tomorrow.
Smoke concentrations may vary widely across the region as winds and temperatures change, and as wildfire behaviour changes.
Fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, refers to airborne solid or liquid droplets with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (µm) or less. PM2.5 can easily penetrate indoors because of its small size.
The district said persons with chronic underlying medical conditions or acute infections such as COVID-19 should postpone or reduce outdoor physical activity until the advisory is lifted, especially if breathing feels uncomfortable.
Exposure to PM2.5 is particularly a concern for people with underlying conditions such as lung disease, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and/or diabetes, individuals with respiratory infections such as COVID-19, pregnant women and infants, children, and older adults. Individuals who are socially marginalized may also be at elevated risk.
