Forest fires in Western Canada: Air quality affected in Quebec

A significant plume of smoke from Western Canada has descended on the province in recent hours, significantly degrading air quality and visibility in several locations.

Residents of the Old Capital and surrounding areas witnessed this deterioration in the afternoon, when a white veil descended very quickly on Quebec City, considerably reducing visibility and spreading a smell of smoke to all corners of the city.

At the time of writing, several other regions were also showing poor air quality ratings, according to the monitoring site IQAir.

In Mauricie, the index was 123 for the city of Trois-Rivières, which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The city of La Tuque topped the list, with an index of 162, considered unhealthy, according to IQAir.

Health risks

A special bulletin was also issued by Environment Canada late Friday afternoon, indicating that air quality had deteriorated considerably.

"Smoke from the Prairie forest fires is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility. Air quality could remain poor until tomorrow," stated the advisory, which targets more than 30 locations across Quebec.

The federal agency therefore recommends limiting time spent outdoors and considering reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities or events, considering that high smoke concentrations increase health risks.

It's worth remembering that although Quebec has been largely spared so far, more than 500 forest fires are still burning across Canada, several hundred of which are uncontrolled. In total, 5.5 million hectares have already burned, according to the federal government.