As wildfires burn through much of northern Ontario, the effects can be seen and felt across Simcoe County and Muskoka. Many residents awoke to strong haze on Wednesday morning, following the hottest day of the year so far. On Wednesday, a ‘yellow’ heat warning and an ‘orange’ air quality warning were issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for many of the municipalities across the region. Dave Phillips, a climatologist with ECCC, says the air quality is measured on an air quality index scale, usually graded with a number between 1 and 10. A rating higher than eight is considered high risk, Phillips says. “We’re at very high, above ten,” Phillips warns. “We don’t even tell you what that is. Above ten. It could be 100 or 200. It could be very injurious to one’s health,” Phillip adds. Around 3:30 p.m. the heat warning was removed. The air quality warning remains. “It’s actually that a dome is maybe keeping the temperatures not as high because the sun can’t come in and bake the ground, but it’s cutting down visibility,” Phillips tells CTV News. “Limit time outdoors, reschedule or cancel outdoor sports, activities and events,” the weather agency says as part of its air quality warning. Dr. Michelle Quaye, a public health physician with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, is also encouraging residents to stay indoors. She says poor air quality puts “everyone at risk.” “There are certain populations who are more at risk. So that includes older adults over the age of 65, infants and young children, people who are pregnant, those who work outdoors and people with chronic conditions,” Quaye tells CTV News. Fine particulate matter from the smoke can cause symptoms if outside for an extended period of time, she says. “That includes things like irritation of the eyes or the nose or the throat. And then for people who have those chronic conditions of the heart and lung, like I mentioned, they might experience flare ups,” she adds. To residents experiencing those symptoms, the health unit recommends going inside right away, ideally somewhere with air conditioning. In these conditions, the ECCC suggests the use of a mask. “A well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn respirator-type mask, such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator, can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke,” ECCC says. According to the agency, conditions may improve by Friday or whenever winds begin to change direction.
