How Bad Is It? See For Yourself.

 

It seemed to begin with the wildfire that swept through Lytton, B.C. forcing the villagers to flee with just the shirts on their backs.

Then, within  two days, there were 49 wildfires burning out of control.

A day later, the number had doubled to 100 fires.

Today, crews are battling 170 wildfires in British Columbia.

So, what does it mean? The numbers alone are pretty abstract, hard to relate. There's a website, however, www.firesmoke.ca, where you'll find an up to date, interactive animation showing not just fires but the vast clouds of smoke blanketing much of our country.  The site uses the BlueSky Canada Wildfire Smoke Forecasting System with data updated four times daily, showing wildfires from Mexico to Alaska.

Most of us aren't affected by these fires but the same can't be said for the clouds of heavy smoke that drift from one province to the next. The map shows the density of Pm 2.5 particulate matter, the stuff that can become embedded in our lungs.

Firesmoke.ca is supported by the governments of British Columbia, Alberta and Canada and by the University of British Columbia.

If you live in a fire area you can register with the Northern Rockies Alert System to receive evacuation and other alerts. It works with cell phones, landline phones and email accounts.

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