The health risk from the air drops from very high on Sunday and is expected to keep going down
People’s health is at high risk from the smoke in the air around Ottawa on Monday morning, but it’s better than it was on Sunday and is expected to keep getting better.
The Air Quality Health Index said that Sunday afternoon and evening in Ottawa were very high risk, which is the highest level.
As of 3 a.m. on Monday, it had gone down to high risk. By the evening, it was expected to be normal, or low risk. Gatineau and Cornwall are in the same boat, and the air in Belleville and Kingston is fine.
Environment Canada says that people should make changes when pollution levels are high or very high. This could mean doing less or no strenuous outdoor activities, keeping windows closed and running air purifiers, or wearing a N95-type face mask outside to filter out smoke particles.
The Renfrew County District School Board said that because of the air quality, students will stay inside on Monday.
Gatineau and the towns to its north and east are under smog alerts from Environment Canada. The rest of the area, except for Kingston and Belleville, has special air quality statements.
Forest fires in and around the capital area, especially further north in Quebec, have been making the air dirty and forcing people to leave their homes for most of the month of June.
- Check out the CBC News Climate Dashboard for real-time information about smoke and fires.
There are bans on fires all over western Quebec and in some parts of eastern Ontario, which is a province. There is also a ban on fires in Ottawa.
Where it is measured by the two provinces, the local fire risk is generally low, but it is very high west of Val d’Or, Que., where many fires are concentrated.