Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canadian wildfires send smoke south, triggering air quality warnings

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Jun, 2023 10:04 AM
  • Canadian wildfires send smoke south, triggering air quality warnings

Canadian wildfires are continuing to send heavy clouds of smoke south, from Northern Ontario and Quebec, through both provinces and into the United States.

Environment Canada has issued special air quality statements for large areas of Ontario and Quebec warning of high levels of air pollution due to the smoke.

The agency says wildfire smoke plumes moved into the impacted areas including the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Windsor, Barrie and London in Ontario and most of northern Quebec. 

It says people with lung or heart disease, older adults, children and others are at higher risk of suffering adverse health effects of forest fires smoke. 

The agency says wildfire pollution level can fluctuate over time and can vary depending on the location, but air quality is expected to improve for some areas on Thursday night.

Air quality warnings are also in effect in Chicago and Detroit and along with Toronto, they occupy three of the top four spots on Air-I-Q's global ranking for poor air quality.

As of this morning, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates tops the list of major cities with a significant score of 411 -- putting its air quality in the "Hazardous" category. Detroit ranks second, followed by Chicago, and Toronto in fourth, with an "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" rating of 159.

Still, some of the smaller communities in Southern Ontario are fairing far worse, with Sarnia scoring 372, as of 3:30 a.m., a score that places the city not far behind Dubai. Air-I-Q updates its numbers hourly.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre's website shows there are 487 active fires burning across the country this morning, with 253 of them classified as out of control.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 66 active fires in Northern Ontario, and as of this morning, 76 fires were burning across Quebec.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

3 arrested for catalytic converter theft: Delta Police

3 arrested for catalytic converter theft: Delta Police
Delta Police say they have arrested three suspects who stole multiple catalytic converters from vehicles in the city. Police say officers made the arrest on June 8 after observing the suspects stealing a catalytic converter.

3 arrested for catalytic converter theft: Delta Police

Two youth arrested in Skytrain stabbing

Two youth arrested in Skytrain stabbing
New Westminster Police and Metro Vancouver Transit Police say two youth, ages 16 and 17, have been charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and robbery.

Two youth arrested in Skytrain stabbing

Burnaby collision at construction site leaves 1 hurt

Burnaby collision at construction site leaves 1 hurt
Witnesses indicated a white Toyota Tacoma had crashed into a concrete block, which caused the block to strike another vehicle legally parked at the location. The pick-up truck then reversed and collided with a wooden pallet holding construction materials.

Burnaby collision at construction site leaves 1 hurt

BC lawyer suspended

BC lawyer suspended
A former lawyer in B-C has been suspended for six months and ordered to pay more than 4-thousand dollars for sexually harassing a client. The Law Society of B-C says William James Heflin made "unwelcome comments, advances and physical contact" with a client during an October 2020 meeting at the Victoria courthouse.

BC lawyer suspended

Women gardening bitten by coyote

Women gardening bitten by coyote
A woman is nursing minor injuries after being bitten by a coyote while she was doing some gardening in Prince George, B.C. A statement from the B.C. Conservation Officers Service says the coyote walked up to the woman from behind and bit her.

Women gardening bitten by coyote

Will provide appropriate remedy for Indian students facing deportation: Canadian Minister

Will provide appropriate remedy for Indian students facing deportation: Canadian Minister
Students filed visa applications 2018 onwards till 2022 through Jalandhar-based Education Migration Services headed by one Brijesh Mishra, who is on the run and has shut all his operations operating from Jalandhar. He is s also accused of cheating students of tens of thousands of dollars.

Will provide appropriate remedy for Indian students facing deportation: Canadian Minister