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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

B.C. fires make it hazy here

By: Sandy Klowak

Posted: 08/22/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Haze hovers in the sky as the sun sets Saturday above Brookside Boulevard. While the smoke from B.C. fires may be hardly noticeable to most people, it can pose real problems for people with respiratory illnesses.

It may not seem like much, but the hazy air hovering over Winnipeg -- far-drifting smoke from B.C. wildfires -- can wreak havoc on the lives of those with asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Most people may notice a hazy tinge to the air and the slight scent of smoke, but weather like this can put this vulnerable group right out of commission, said Judy Riedel of the Lung Association, Manitoba.

"They really feel it. It's a really strong trigger (for an attack)," said Riedel. "The recommendation is to try and stay in, which is really a struggle. How many days is this going to continue, and how many days can they stay in?"

If people don't have access to air-conditioned cars and workplaces, they have no choice but to stay at home, missing work for as long as the hazy air hovers over the city, Riedel said.

She said ensuring asthmatics have been taking their medications prior to this kind of weather is key to maintaining the best health possible.

Several provinces are reeling from smoky air pushed in from the B.C. fires.

Environment Canada meteorologist John McIntyre said westerly winds over the past few days have blown smoke as far as Manitoba and northern Ontario.

But McIntyre added that low pressure systems in Montana and B.C. will soon bring northerly winds, which should clear the smoke and hopefully deliver showers to the fires.

Tara McKee, who owns a tobacco shop in Saskatoon, said even cigar and pipe smokers noticed the smell of smoke in the air when it was really thick on Friday.

"I wanted to go and take really deep breaths and suck it all in if I could," joked McKee at the counter of the Captain's Den Tobacconist on Saturday.

McKee said she believes smokers may actually notice the smell more than non-smokers. She suspected it might have something to do with the fact smokers enjoy the smell of smoke.

She said customers also joked they didn't really need to smoke -- all they had to do was step outdoors.

There were 178 sizable fires burning across British Columbia as of Friday.

Chief medical officers in Alberta and Saskatchewan issued warnings urging people with chronic lung conditions to stay indoors, and even advised people with healthy lungs to avoid strenuous activity.

-- With files from The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 22, 2010 A3

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