Air quality throughout the Shuswap is being impacted by wildfires around the region, with Salmon Arm ranking fourth in the Canada AQI city rankings. Chase is ranked number two.
According to IQ Air, Salmon Arm’s air index was rated at 243 as of 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6. This rating means “very unhealthy,” which includes symptoms such as throat irritation, headache, and cough.
The index said the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air is 167.9 micrograms per cubic metre, which is 33.6 times higher than the World Health Organization annual PM2.5 guideline value.
Health recommendations include avoiding outdoor exercise, keeping windows closed, wearing a mask outside and running an air purifier.
Environment Canada has issued an air quality warning for the Shuswap area for the next 24 to 48 hours.
