Next 24 hours — model comparison3 models · 24-hour peak table
Model
Peak PM2.5
Peak around
FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky)
0 µg/m³
Sep 20, 6:00PM
FireWork (ECCC)
7 µg/m³
Sep 20, 11:00PM
HRRR-Smoke (NOAA, 3 km)
0 µg/m³
Sep 20, 4:00PM
Model values are for the nearest forecast grid cell to Castlegar;
FireSmoke, FireWork and HRRR are independent and often disagree — treat the highest available value
as the cautious planning number.
Observations and NowCast are total PM2.5 — wildfire smoke plus every other source — as regulatory monitors measure it, and FireWork models that same total. FireSmoke and HRRR-Smoke estimate the wildfire contribution only, so they read lower than the monitors whenever other sources matter. The optional map plume surfaces are likewise fires-only.
Sky vs. ground
Little smoke at the surface or overhead.
Sky right now
Clear sky
● At the ground
· ● Overhead (if mixed down)
Overhead smoke dims the sun but is not what you breathe. The dashed line shows the surface level if the whole column mixed through the boundary layer — a worst case, not a forecast · Data: NOAA HRRR-Smoke; cloud cover is from the model, not observed
Nearby fires
150 km radius
Fire snapshot updated 2026-09-20 19:50 UTC
Within 150 km, agencies report 1 Being held · 20 Under control.
Out of control0 fires
No out of control fires are reported within 150 km.
Being held1 fire
N72245
94 km away · 0.009 ha · discovered 2026-09-18 · reported 2026-09-18 · BCWS
Fire number N72245Southeast Fire CentreRossieter CreekCause: Unknown
Proximity and wind direction do not prove that a fire caused smoke at this location. Sources: BC Wildfire Service in British Columbia; Natural Resources Canada CWFIS elsewhere.
Forecast track record here
29-day record · 1 nearby monitors
Model
Typical error
Tendency
FireWork
5.1 µg/m³
reads low 2.2
FireSmoke
8.5 µg/m³
reads low 6.1
Mean absolute error and average tendency in µg/m³, from forecasts verified 0–6 hours ahead at monitors within 50 km. A short-range record, not a measure of how far ahead a model stays reliable. FireSmoke and HRRR model wildfire smoke only, so they read below the monitors whenever other sources of PM2.5 matter.