Lakeland smoke blanket drops air quality

A screen grab from www.firesmoke.ca of the high smoke and haze concentrations over the Lakeland region going through the weekend. The early morning hours of Saturday show levels more than 250 times the benchmark level for air quality.
A helicopter contracted to Alberta Forestry is barely visible as it flies over a Beaver Lake subdivision on Friday night, returning from the Beaver Lake fire base to the Lac La Biche Airport. Air quality and visibility have been affected across the Lakeland, and projections show it will likely get worse in the coming days
The Alberta Wildfire map as of Friday night. The red flames are the out-of-control fires.

According to a nation-wide weather service, the blanket of smoky haze that has settled over the Lakeland will continue — and worsen over the next few day.

Temperatures, wind direction and humidity have helped to bring smoke from wildfires burning across the province into the region. Air quality measurements across the region are extreme as the smoke thickness increases smoke particles to 250-times more than baseline levels.

From data shown on the www.firesmoke.ca website, the extreme air quality readings will continue for at least the next two days.

Alberta Health Service is also offering online assistance for residents suffering breathing or other health issues caused by the poor air quality and smoke.

While the region has the smoke, it doesn't have the fires.  An out-of-control blaze continues to burn in the northern part of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, but wind direction is moving that fire — and the smoke into Saskatchewan.  Smoke over the Lakeland area is believed to be coming from several out of control fires burning north and west of Edmonton.

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