RED LAKE — National weather officials say they’re expecting heavy smoke that’s causing poor air quality throughout much of the far north to remain, especially closer to the Manitoba border.
As of Monday morning, the weather office had air quality warnings in effect for areas north of Red Lake and spreading northeasterly well into the far north, and encompassing communities like Pikangikum, North Spirit Lake, North Caribou Lake, Deer Lake, Sachigo Lake, Muskrat Dam and Bearskin Lake.
An update shortly after 11 a.m. also added a corridor from Cat Lake east through Pickle Lake to the warnings.
Most areas to the south and further east were under a special air quality statement, Environment Canada said. That range included from the Manitoba border east through Red Lake, Ear Falls, Sioux Lookout and Savant Lake. Another pocket further north includes Wunnumin Lake, Nibinamik, Kasabonika Lake, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, Mishkeegogamang and all the way to Fort Severn and the Hudson Bay coast.
The difference between the air quality warnings and special statements is how severely the air quality has deteriorated, said Steven Flisfeder, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
“The warning … near the Manitoba border is for areas where we are seeing much, much higher concentrations of forest fire smoke leading to much more deteriorated air quality as a result,” Flisfeder told Newswatch in an interview.
“Areas further east that are in the special air quality statements, there's still high concentrations of smoke, just not as quite as severe as those closer to the Manitoba border — at least not currently.”
The deterioration in air quality is due to dozens of wildfires burning, not only in Ontario, but to the west as well. As of Sunday evening, the Ministry of Natural Resources was reporting 47 active fires in Northwestern Ontario alone.
That sheer amount of smoke, combined with a bunch of other atmospheric conditions, makes it difficult to do specific long-term air quality forecasting, Flisfeder said, as it remains a “very dynamic day-to-day kind of forecast.” However, he said, the areas currently under an air quality warning likely won’t see much of a reprieve any time soon.
“As it stands now, we have the highest confidence with the areas near the Manitoba border that they will remain in at least an air quality statement, but likely an air quality warning, given the higher concentrations of smoke for those areas,” he said.
“Everywhere outside of that warning area, the smoke will be shifting north and south and may be reduced given the incoming precipitation.”
Even if the alerts subside, he added, it may not be for long.
“All that being said, the wildfire activity is still ongoing, so even if the air quality statements are ended, there's a very high likelihood that, in a day or two or later this week, they could be reissued as the situation warrants.”
The weather office’s alerts reminded that, while everyone is affected by poor air quality, certain people are more susceptible to its effects, including those aged 65 and older, those who are pregnant, infants and young children, people with an existing illness or chronic health condition and people who work outdoors.
“There are certainly people who are more susceptible to those kinds of conditions,” Flisfeder said.
“So, making sure that you're taking precautions, limiting your time outdoors as much as possible, and keeping doors and windows closed so that you're not increasing your exposure when you are inside.”
-This story was updated to reflect subsequent changes in the warning range.
