Wildfire smoke blankets Saskatoon, central Saskatchewan

The smoke that blanketed Saskatoon and parts of central Saskatchewan on Wednesday morning is thanks to the wildfires burning to the north.

Early on Wednesday morning, the air quality health index in the Bridge City reached over 10, the highest level on the index. Air quality advisories from Environment Canada included Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and large parts of northern Saskatchewan early on Wednesday morning, though the advisory for Saskatoon ended before 11 a.m.

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Brad Vrolijk, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said cooler air brought the smoke into the area overnight.

“We have a weak cold front that is moving through central Saskatchewan right now and what we found overnight is that forest fire smoke from the wildfires over central Saskatchewan is kind of concentrated on the front,” he explained.

“Right now, from Saskatoon to Prince Albert there’s a band of thicker smoke that’s drifting through the region.”

Vrolijk said the smoke will likely drift out of the area once temperatures warm up and the winds carry it to the southwest part of the province.

The smoke moved towards Saskatoon despite what was a rainy day on Tuesday. Vrolijk said there are so many wildfires burning in the province that it’s tough for that rain to clear away the smoke.

“It really depends how thick the smoke is,” he said.

“The bigger issue is that there’s so many fires across (north) central Saskatchewan that even if the rain clears it out, all it takes is another day and the fires flare up and produce a lot more smoke that drifts down.”

According to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, 84 fires were burning in the province as of Wednesday morning. Saskatchewan has seen 449 wildfires so far this year, well ahead of the five-year average of 317.

The smoke might soon be moving to the southwest, but Vrolijk mentioned it could be something Saskatoon residents might have to deal with periodically for the rest of the week.

“Over the next few days though there will be a northerly wind and cooler temperatures,” he explained.

“What we’ll likely see over the next couple days is probably occasional plumes of wildfire smoke moving southwards from those fires over central Saskatchewan, so don’t be surprised to see smoke and poor air quality over the next few days.”

Vrolijk suggested residents should take precautions if they’re sensitive to the smoke.

He also added that it’s a good idea to keep windows closed and consider pulling on an N95 mask if you’re going to be spending time outdoors.

The latest information on the air quality advisories can be found on Environment Canada’s website.