Orange Air Quality Warning in Effect (Very High Health Risk)
Avoid outdoor activities.
Where:
Fraser Valley Eastern – Chilliwack, Agassiz, Hope
What you can do:
-Check in on others who may be more affected. People at higher risk include those with lung, heart or other chronic conditions, pregnant people, infants, children, older adults, and outdoor workers.
-Improve indoor air quality. Use portable HEPA air cleaners or do-it-yourself box fan air cleaners. If your home has a built-in ventilation system, install filters rated MERV 13 or higher to remove smoke. If possible, adjust the ventilation system to reduce smoke coming indoors.
-Keep windows and doors closed while running air filtration. If it’s hot, focus on staying cool.
-Spend time in places with air conditioning if your home is smoky or too hot. Try community centres, libraries, or malls.
-Seek medical help if you experience severe symptoms such as wheezing, chest pain, trouble breathing or severe cough. Call 911 in emergencies.
-Manage chronic conditions and carry rescue medications with you (e.g. inhalers).
-If you must be outside, a well-fitted N95, KN95, or KF94 mask offers the most protection. Medical masks offer some protection and single layer coverings (e.g. bandanas, scarfs, shirts) offer none.
-Check the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) often throughout the day because conditions can change quickly. See airmap.ca or gov.bc.ca/airqualitymap.
-Sign up for air quality alerts at metrovancouver.org/aqalerts.
Visit https://www.airhealth.ca for information on how to reduce your health risk and your personal contribution to pollution levels, as well as for current and forecast AQHI values.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada.
Issued by Environment Canada, the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks and Metro Vancouver
issued Aug 06, 4:48AM · in effect until Aug 06, 8:48PM · source: Environment and Climate Change Canada
72 µg/m³ NowCast — Unhealthy on the US EPA scale — the median across 3 monitors in Eastern Fraser Valley. Individual monitors run 69–83 µg/m³, highest at Hope. Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index nearby is 10.
74 µg/m³ measured at Chilliwack, 1 km away, at Aug 06, 11:00AM.
Everyone may begin to feel health effects; sensitive groups should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.
Forecast concentrations are below current levels and expected to ease over the next 48 hours.
The current smoke should clear by about Aug 06, 1:00PM.
1–3 low · 4–6 moderate · 7–10 high · 10+ very high · Forecast squares are Environment Canada's official AQHI period maximums.
● Observed — hourly median · ● FireSmoke · ● FireWork · ● HRRR · ▬ range across monitors
Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): ■ Good · ■ Moderate · ■ Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups · ■ Unhealthy · ■ Very Unhealthy · ■ Hazardous
| Model | Peak PM2.5 | Peak around |
|---|---|---|
| FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky) | 1 µg/m³ | Aug 06, 7:00PM |
| FireWork (ECCC) | 10 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 10:00AM |
| HRRR-Smoke (NOAA, 3 km) | 2 µg/m³ | Aug 06, 1:00PM |
Model values are for the ~10 km grid cell nearest Eastern Fraser Valley; the two models are independent and often disagree — treat the higher 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 is a smoke-dispersion model: it estimates the wildfire contribution only, so it reads lower than the monitors whenever other sources matter. The map's optional plume layer is likewise fires-only.
Little smoke at the surface or overhead.
● 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
19-day record · 6 nearby monitors
| Model | Typical error | Tendency |
|---|---|---|
| FireWork | 10.0 µg/m³ | reads low 5.9 |
| FireSmoke | 15.7 µg/m³ | reads low 6.9 |
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.
Open the live chart for Chilliwack — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.
See the British Columbia-wide forecast — every monitor, ranked →
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