Smoke from the McDougall Creek wildfire in Kelowna and other wildfires burning in BC has caused Vancouver’s air quality to plummet significantly.
According to IQ Air’s ranking of most polluted major cities, Vancouver ranks 16th just behind Kuching, Malaysia and Dhaka, Bangladesh.
RELATED: UBCO campus evacuated due to ongoing Kelowna wildfires
The PM2.5 concentration in Vancouver is currently 6 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value. With this air quality score, Vancouver’s air quality is considered moderate and sensitive groups should wear a mask outdoors.
IQ Air
On Friday, the City of Kelowna declared a state of emergency due to the encroaching McDougall Creek wildfire. The wildfire jumped Okanagan Lake overnight, forcing many to be evacuated as the fire continued to spread rapidly.
During a press conference Sunday morning, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre highlighted that wildfire conditions in the Central Okanagan are are improving, but the wildfires remain active.
“While cooler temperatures and lighter winds helped crews make progress overnight, the wildfires are active and the situation remains fluid,” reads a statement.
Officials also stated that “structural losses have occurred”.
The number of structural losses will be announced after confirmation can be achieved through on-the-ground assessments as personnel are able to safety access the fire-affected areas.
For a full list of evacuation orders and live updates, click here.