While the Bulkley Valley has not been threatened directly by wildfires in 2024, it is feeling the effects of provincial fires on its air quality.
The sunset on July 21 was an eerie orange and very smoky.
The BC Wildfire Service made note of it on its Facebook page saying it had received multiple phone reports about wildfire smoke around the valley.
The post said that because of a shift in winds and weather patterns, communities in the area and others in the Northwest were experiencing smoke from fires south of Ootsa Lake in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, as well as smoke from fires in southern regions.
Lightning-triggered wildfires over the weekend prompted a number of evacuation orders and alerts across British Columbia, a situation that has been exacerbated by an ongoing heat wave that saw Smithers break records for both July 20 (31.8C) and July 21 (31.9C).
The wildfire service said Sunday crews are battling more than 300 blazes, with several evacuation orders in effect in both central and east Kootenay as well as in Thompson-Nicola, the Cariboo and Bulkley-Nechako.
“Fire suppression efforts continue to be challenged due to hot, dry conditions and localized winds,” the wildfire service said in its Sunday update.
“A three-week heat wave continues, and more hot and dry conditions are expected to continue for most of the province.”
Environment Canada reported 14 B.C. communities broke or matched their daily high-temperature records on July 20.
-With files from Canadian Press
