A veil of wildfire smoke is drifting toward Vancouver Island this week, bringing hazier skies but not necessarily the poor air quality that can come when smoke settles near the ground. Smoke from wildfires in B.C.’s Interior has already reached the Lower Mainland, and changing winds are expected to carry some of it toward the Island. Jennifer Kowal, an operational meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says most of the smoke is currently staying high in the atmosphere. “Everywhere else, we’re just seeing it as a little bit of haze aloft,” Kowal said Wednesday. The haze is expected to become more noticeable across southern and eastern Vancouver Island, but conditions could vary considerably from one community to the next. Friday is the day to watch The area to watch is north of Nanaimo. Kowal says current modelling shows one plume could move a little closer to the ground Friday afternoon between Nanaimo and Campbell River. “At this time we’re not expecting any sort of high concentrations anywhere near the ground,” she said. “It really should stay aloft because the fires are so far away at this point.” That could mean the smoke is more noticeable in the sky than on the ground. “I would suspect that you will be able to see the smoke, but you might not even be able to smell it,” Kowal said. Greater Victoria could also get some relief from afternoon winds. “You get those winds moving through the Juan de Fuca Strait that often happens late in the day, in the afternoon,” she said. “And so that might clear out Victoria.” The west coast of the Island, including Port Alberni, is also expected to fare better, while areas farther north and along the eastern side could hold on to the haze longer. Clearer skies expected this weekend The smoke is not expected to linger. Kowal says a shift in the winds late Friday into Saturday should clear the Island. The weekend is expected to bring a return to clearer conditions. For now, residents should keep an eye on local air-quality information, particularly if they are planning strenuous outdoor activity. And with wildfire season continuing, Kowal has one final reminder. “We don’t need humans causing any more fires,” she said. “Nature is going to start enough fires for us.”
