Air pollution from wildfires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario remains well above healthy levels across much of southern and northern Ontario. On Thursday, Environment Canada issued a statement for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), warning of high pollution levels and deteriorated air quality due to smoke from the fires.
“Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health, even at low concentrations. Continue to take actions to protect your health and reduce exposure to smoke,” says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the statement.
Those in northeastern Ontario are not exempt from the smoky impacts either, as fires burning north of Georgian Bay billow smoke toward communities along Lake Huron.
Environment Canada’s air quality forecast for the GTA suggests things will remain at unhealthy levels through Friday but will begin to improve and deteriorate in waves.
Exposure to air pollutants, like smoke, can cause various symptoms, including irritated eyes, increased mucus production, coughing and difficulty breathing. The Canadian Lung Association urges those with lung diseases such as asthma and COPD to monitor their breathing. If breathing problems develop, refer to your action plan or call your healthcare provider.
Advice on how people can protect their health and the health of loved ones can be found on the Government of Canada’s Air Quality Health Index webpage: https://www.canada.ca/…/air-quality-health-index.html
