Metro Vancouver air quality advisory due to barge fire
Posted August 10, 2018 1:00 pm.
Last Updated August 10, 2018 3:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
METRO VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The regional district has issued an air quality advisory because of “intermittent high concentrations of fine particulate matter” following a massive blaze on a barge near the Pattullo Bridge Friday morning.
In a release, Metro Vancouver says it’s been following the air quality closely throughout the region.
It adds the fire burning in West Vancouver near Horseshoe Bay may contribute to localized smoke, and you may see smoke drifting in to the region from other fires burning south of the border in California, Oregon, and Washington state.
Meantime, and advisory continues for the Fraser Valley, mainly due to wildfires near Agassiz and east of Manning Park. The district says people in the Fraser Valley may also see some smoke in the area because of the Surrey barge fire.
An air quality advisory had been issued for parts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley on Wednesday because of ground-level ozone. That advisory has since ended as “concentrations have improved due to cooler temperatures.”
There is a concern when it comes to exposure for anyone with underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease and asthma, as well as infants and the elderly.
These people are urged to avoid strenuous excercise until the advisory has ended.
The district is reminding people to keep cool and stay hydrated as warmer temperatures persist.
