Friday morning, Vauxhallites woke up to the sights and smells of thick smoke from British Columbia forest fires.
That has not been uncommon for Alberta communities this summer and as such, governments are joining forces to deal with the issue.
The governments of Alberta and British Columbia are joining together to develop an innovative forecasting system that will provide Western Canadians with up to 48 hours notice of anticipated smoke resulting from forest fires.
The BlueSky Western Canada Smoke Forecasting System combines forest fire information, like location and size, with weather forecast computer models. In addition to staff expertise and knowledge, the Government of Alberta contributed $25,000 to the system, which will indicate locations in Alberta and British Columbia that are expected to be impacted from forest fire smoke, and will estimate the associated smoke concentrations.
"During forest-fire events, impacted areas and health agencies need as much advance warning as possible," said Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner in a press release. "Our combined efforts to establish this system will ensure Albertans and British Columbians have the information they need during fire season."
Smoke forecasts for Alberta and B.C. are produced daily and displayed as hour-by-hour animations showing the locations and concentrations of smoke plumes.
“BlueSky provides British Columbians and Albertans with daily forecasts of wildfire smoke, which can reduce visibility and affect both respiratory health and the ability of people to participate in outdoor activities,” said Ida Chong, British Columbia’s Minister of Healthy Living and Sport. “In addition to our commitment to world-class air quality standards and targets, BlueSky builds on the leading-edge resources and updated air quality information.”
For more information, visit www.environment.alberta.ca.