Southern Alberta under yellow smoke alert as B.C. wildfire haze drifts east
Environment Canada expanded an orange air quality alert across a wide swath of southern B.C., while southwest Alberta remains at a moderate risk level.
Why it matters
Residents in southern Alberta may face worsening air quality and should monitor health advisories as smoke drifts in from B.C. wildfires.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has expanded an Orange Alert for air quality across a large portion of southern British Columbia, including the Kootenays, Columbia, Okanagan, Shuswap and Fraser Canyon regions, as wildfire smoke pools under a high-pressure system. The agency said haze will affect the area for another 24 to 48 hours, with only brief, sporadic clearing expected and no widespread relief in sight.
Wildfire activity has also prompted highway closures in B.C. As of 2 p.m. Friday, Highway 1 between Hope and Lytton and Highway 97 from Loon Lake to Mile 76 were both shut down, and officials are urging travellers to check DriveBC for updates before heading west this weekend.
In Alberta, the southwest corner of the province remained under a Yellow Alert for air quality Friday afternoon, listed at a moderate risk level as smoke drifts in from southeastern B.C. Westerly winds are expected to push more smoke into southern Alberta before the weekend ends, though forecasters say levels are not expected to reach the extremes seen on the Heritage Day long weekend, when Lethbridge recorded an Air Quality Health Index reading above 10.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.