We woke to hazy, yellow skies and multiple air quality warnings. Putting the trash out was an odd experience. The morning air smelled like a winter’s night by a wood-burning fireplace. In June.
While still dry from the recent heat wave, Ottawa is not on fire but a lot of the areas around us are. Many of those places are upwind.
The internet may be a hive of scum and villainy but I do love that it has a map for everything. Searching for “wildfire smoke map ontario” brought me to this informative site:
Well, that explains it.
Ottawa’s air quality is currently rated a 7, or high risk. What does that mean?
At-Risk Population:
- Avoid strenuous activities outdoors. Children and the elderly should also avoid outdoor physical exertion.
- Find out if you are at risk
General Population:
— Ottawa, Ontario – Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) – Environment Canada
- Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation.
In good-ish news, a high-quality mask will provide a reasonable level of protection against smoke and its particulates. As a population, we are much better equipped for such events than we were pre-pandemic so, I guess that’s something?
I also see that the smoke is blowing south to the States. Sorry, family.
Stay healthy, stay safe!
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[…] back. Smoke from fires out west is making its way to us here on the East Coast. From the archives, let me again share this handy map with smoke […]