Air quality in Fort St. John one of worst in Canada

Fort St. John has the poorest air quality in the country and the worst in the province. (BC Air Quality)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John and Yellowknife have the poorest air quality in the country, while the Energetic City has the worst in the province, according to Environment Canada and BC Air Quality.

A special air quality statement remains in place in the Peace River and Fort Nelson regions on Tuesday due to wildfire smoke.

Environment Canada and BC Air Quality state both Fort St. John and Yellowknife are at a 10 or 10 plus on the air quality scale, putting both cities in the high to very high-risk zone.

BC Air Quality and Environment Canada’s air quality indexes. (BC Air Quality, Environment Canada)

Fort St. John is expected to stay in the” very high-risk” range into Wednesday evening.

Other cities across the country have areas with a high risk, but only in areas with smoke.

The air quality index for the next few days in Prince George, where the risk is moderate except in areas with smoke. (Environment Canada)

According to FireSmoke.ca, the smoke in Fort St. John comes from many wildfires across the province, including the 166,856.9-hectare Big Creek wildfire to the west of Williston Lake.

There are currently 47 active wildfires in the Prince George Fire Centre and 399 across the province.

In areas with smoke, people considered at risk, including older people, children and people with lung conditions, should avoid strenuous activities outdoors, said Environment Canada.

The general public should also reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors if they begin experiencing symptoms like coughing and throat irritation.

The latest information on air quality can be found on the Government of Canada’s website.