The provincial government has issued a rare “orange alert” over air quality concerns in Kamloops and the surrounding region, as the province warns of no immediate end to the wildfire smoke billowing into, over and inundating the city from the Fraser Canyon since late Tuesday afternoon.

Under an “orange alert,” health officials warn that exposure to the current high PM2.5 levels poses a direct threat to public health, regardless of a person’s age or health status.

The rancid air quality is being driven by the out-of-control wildfire situation in the Fraser Canyon, where the Ainslie Creek fire — as Radio NL had earlier projected — undertook a massive and sudden explosion in size through Tuesday.

After first catching hold sometime on Monday, then listed at 697 hectares in size on Tuesday morning, the Ainslie Creek fire was reassessed at over 8,800 hectares by the BC Wildfire Service on Wednesday morning.

This rapid growth, combined with the ongoing Brunswick Creek fire on the west side of the Fraser River, has created a massive volume of smoke that is being carried directly toward Kamloops by the prevailing winds.

“At this point in time for the fire [Brunswick Creek & Ainslie Creek fires combined], it does not seem like it is slowing down anytime soon,” warned Nick Davey, Air Quality Meteorologist with the Ministry of Environment and Parks in conversation with Radio NL on Wednesday afternoon.  “Our models are telling us for at least 48… potentially 72 hours… we are still expecting to be seeing smoke coming towards Kamloops from the west from that fire.”

And while the modelling beyond 72 hours does get too unpredictable for a valuable assessment of conditions, Davey does say they’ve been prompted to upgrade to the “orange alert” due to the continued presence of small particulate matter in the air — otherwise known as PM2.5.

“The 24-hour averages have been over 100 micrograms per cubic meter since about 10 p.m. last [Tuesday] night, and it is going to take quite a number of hours before those things [numbers] to come down,” noted Davey.  “This is essentially the threshold where we have decided that we are going to go for an orange warning instead of a yellow.”

Global BC Chief Meteorologist and Kamloops native Mark Madryga tells Radio NL the weather patterns show the winds are going to continue to come up from the south coast and continue pushing the smoke in a nearly direct line toward Kamloops and the Shuswap.

“Well, the smoke that rolled into the Kamloops area yesterday [Tuesday] afternoon, of course, the source of that smoke is those fires near Boston Bar,” noted Madryga. “It was the southwesterly flow, aloft, that steered that smoke in yesterday, and that flow is going to continue, it looks like.”

Davey cautions that even though you might be able to see the skies a bit more clearly during the height of the daytime, it doesn’t necessarily mean the PM2.5 particulate has disappeared, noting some of the worst air quality conditions can take place through the evenings and overnight hours as the air cools and settles.

“Your eyes are definitely useful, and you should trust them if you can see the smoke out there, but really we need to pay attention to the numbers [the air quality sensors are providing] to really get an idea of what kind of a warning we are going to be issuing for the day.”

He notes that wildfire smoke has a habit of staying in the air we breathe for longer than one might expect.

“We have seen PM2.5 from the big fires a few years ago traveling entirely across the continent,” Davey noted.   “They can remain aloft for a long period of time.”

While wildfire smoke is never safe to breathe in, its the extent to which it impacts some people more severely than others is still a bit of a mystery to researchers.

“I am not a doctor,” noted the Air Quality Meteorologist, “But one thing I can say is that we know that it is nonlinear… it does not mean that twice the PM concentration is twice as bad for you.”

“Once we are above 25 micrograms per cubic meter, sensitive individuals can certainly take some actions to protect themselves from smoke to the best of their ability,” added Davey.

An average of more than 25 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 is the benchmark the province uses to determine if it needs to issue a warning for poor air quality.

Kamloops averaged around 139.

Interior Health with advice to reduce fire smoke impacts

With the air quality advisory out there, Interior Health has issued a number of recommendations for those who have underlying medical issues or might be more vulnerable to potential damage caused by wildfire smoke, including infants and young children, the pregnant and the elderly.

During an active “orange alert,” health officials suggest you stay indoors as much as possible.

“Keep your home’s windows and doors closed to prevent outdoor smoke from migrating inside,” stated the Health authority as part of the Air Quality “orange alert” issued by the Province, which is also warning that keeping indoors shouldn’t come at the expense of overheating yourself if air conditioning is not a reliable option.

“If closing up your home causes it to overheat, prioritize keeping cool, as extreme heat is also a significant health hazard,” it noted.

For those with A/C, the goal is to keep the system running and ensuring it works to the best of its ability, which also — with most modern air conditioning units — includes and air filtration system as well.  “Use a clean, high-quality air filter in your central ventilation system, or operate a certified portable air purifier.”

While on the road, the province recommends that, if possible, your vehicle’s air filtration system should be set to recirculate the air.

At the same time, Interior Health is suggesting you don’t dismiss any symptoms which may indicate a bad reaction to the wildfire smoke.

“Watch for common, mild symptoms of smoke exposure, such as irritated eyes, a runny nose, a scratchy throat, or a mild cough,” notes the Health Authority, as that can be the precursor to further problems if the issues are allowed to remain unchecked.

Symptoms including wheezing, chest pain, discomfort, or a severe, persistent cough should be looked at by a medical professional as soon as possible.

Those who may be hesitant can always reach out to HealthLink BC by dialing 8-1-1 at any time of day or night for a second opinion or click on the tab here for more information.