Canadian cities sweltering in wildfire smoke: Here's what to know

Smoke from wildfires from the Rocky Mountains to the Newfoundland Sea is spreading across Canada, according to modeling for the August weekend. There were approximately 170 active fires across the country on Saturday, according to mapping on FireSmoke, a data portal operated by BlueSky Canada. BlueSky is a partnership between the provincial governments of British Columbia and Alberta.

Modeling during the day shows low levels of particulate matter across the country, even on the East Coast, where fewer active fires are burning.

Modeling shows that by evening skies will be smokier in the Rocky Mountains, particularly near Golden and Nelson in British Columbia, near Royal and Reindeer lakes in Saskatchewan, and near Red Sucker Lake and South Indian Lake in Manitoba.

These areas will still have more fire smoke than the rest of Canada by early Monday morning, according to FireSmoke data.

At the time of publication, air quality in major Canadian cities does not exceed four out of ten, which is a moderate risk, and is found in Calgary, Saskatchewan and Toronto. At this level, people with heart or respiratory problems may want to cut back on vigorous outdoor activities, according to the federal government.

Drier and warmer air is fueling the flames, creating dangerous conditions for services battling a massive wildfire in Jasper National Park, while air quality warnings have been issued for large parts of Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

Environment Canada has also issued warnings across the plains of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as on the west coast. B.C.'s weather service said several communities in the province's southern regions are likely to be affected by wildfire smoke in the next 24 to 48 hours amid "continued heat and little or no rainfall."

Yuho Park's announcement reads: "Particulate matter in wildfire smoke poses a major health risk. As smoke levels increase, health risks increase."

Parks Canada's James Eastham told CTV News that the fire in Jasper has grown to about 500 hectares due to the changing weather, and officials are seeing a "higher level of fire activity."

Smoke from wildfires is spreading across Canada, reducing air quality in many areas. Big cities are affected and people with respiratory problems should be careful. Large fires in some areas, such as Jasper National Park, have made it difficult for firefighters.

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