Wildfire smoke to settle over Greater Victoria from interior BC

This week, Vancouver Island may be impacted by wildfire smoke being blown into the region from BC’s interior.

According to firesmoke.ca, smoke from fires in the interior of BC will make its way to Vancouver Island and settle in over the next couple of days.

Environment Canada’s Air Quality Health Index indicates that air quality will remain in the low-risk range over the next  24 hours while the smoke is present, hovering between a two and three on the 11-point scale.

Smoke is forecast to remain in the area until at least Wednesday, which is as far as firesmoke.ca is able to predict.

Smoke has engulfed much of the country in recent weeks, with many locations in eastern Canada seeing some of the worst air quality in the world this summer.

As of this publication, there are 105 active fires in the province, with 16 having been started in the last 24 hours. Out of these 105 fires, 39 are considered ‘out of control.’

According to the BC Wildfire dashboard, 83 of the fires have been caused by lightning, while 13 are human-caused.

The news comes as Victoria’s weather forecast calls for a string of hot days, with temperatures expected to reach 25°C multiple times this week.

The smoke serves as a reminder for all BC residents to be cautious and follow local fire prohibitions and restrictions.

For a list of restrictions in your area, click here.