An important plume of smoke from Western Canada has come down to the province in the last hours, significantly degrading air quality and visibility in several places.
Residents of the old capital and the surroundings were also witnessing this deterioration in the afternoon, while a white veil fell very quickly in Quebec, considerably reducing visibility in addition to spreading a smell of smoke to the four corners of the city.
Photo agency QMI, René Leclerc
At the time of writing these lines, several other regions also displayed a bad indication of air quality, according to the IQAir surveillance site.
In Mauricie, the index was encrypted at 123 for the city of Trois-Rivières, which is considered bad for sensitive groups. The city of La Tuque was at the top of the list, with a clue encrypted at 162, considered bad for health, still according to Iqair.
Health risks
A special bulletin was also issued by Environment Canada at the end of the afternoon on Friday, indicating that air quality had deteriorated considerably.
Photo agency QMI, René Leclerc
“Smoke from the meadows forest fires causes poor air quality and reduced visibility. Air quality could remain bad until tomorrow, ”said the opinion of more than thirty places across Quebec.
The federal agency therefore recommends limiting the time spent outside and considering reducing or reorganizing sports, activities or events on the exterior considering that high smoke concentrations increase health risks.
Recall that although Quebec is mainly spared so far, more than 500 forest fires are still underway across Canada, several hundred of which are not controlled. In all, 5.5 million hectares have already burned, according to the federal government.
