Calgary back under air quality warning as smoke rolls in
Published Jun 11, 2023 • 1 minute read
Calgarians woke up again Sunday morning to smoky skies after wildfire smoke blew back into town overnight.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors.The smoke prompted Environment and Climate Change Canada to issue a special air quality warning just before 7 a.m., warning exposure to the smoke can be harmful even at low concentrations.
Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
“Air quality and reduced visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” the federal agency said.
“People with lung disease (such as asthma) or heart disease, older adults, children, pregnant people, and people who work outdoors are at higher risk of experiencing health effects caused by wildfire smoke.”
As of Sunday morning, Calgary’s Air Quality Health Index sat at 10-plus, indicating very high risk.
That number is forecasted to drop to 8 Sunday night and 7 through Monday, with concentrations of smoke in the air also deemed to be high risk.
Temperatures in Calgary are forecasted to hit highs of 24 C on Sunday and 26 C on Monday, with risk of a thunderstorm each day. Forecasts show the city heating up to 27 C Tuesday before cooling below 20 C for the rest of the week. A heat warning which had been in effect for Calgary ended overnight Sunday.
Sunday marks yet another day this spring where Calgary has had to contend with widespread smoke as Alberta and British Columbia endure heavy wildfire seasons.
As of Sunday morning, there were 76 active wildfires in Alberta, including 24 burning out of control.
Among those is a wildfire that’s burning less than two kilometres from Edson, a town of 9,000 residents about 200 km west of Edmonton. That blaze had burned about 240,000 hectares as of Friday night, according to Alberta Wildfire.
An evacuation notice for Edson residents and some living in the surrounding Yellowhead County is expected to remain in place until at least Wednesday.
—With files from Lisa Johnson
Twitter: @jasonfherring
