Skip to content

PHOTOS: B.C. city wakes up to darkness under wildfire smoke

The rest of the province also dealing with thick haze as smoky skies continue

The wildfire smoke has become so thick in B.C. that it’s blocking the sun in some communities.

People in Prince George woke up to dark skies Friday morning, looking out as if it were nighttime, until mid-morning when the haze started to thin. The air had turned much cooler as well.

Lindsay Orlandi, a student at University of Northern British Columbia, speaking to Black Press Media, described the city as apocalyptic.

“When the sun starts to get blacked out, it really freaks everyone out,” she said. “The sun is blacked out by the smoke and the [ash] kind of rains from the sky.”

In many regions across B.C., the haze has turned the skies into ominous tones of grey and orange. The province remains under an advisory from Environment Canada because of the smoky skies, which has been in effect for close to a week.

Health officials have urged seniors, parents of young children and infants, and those with health conditions that could be exacerbated by the weather to take extra caution when outside.

People may experience symptoms such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors, and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk.

Orlandi said she’s resorted to wearing a mask a couple times to help relieve some of the symptoms.

“It (the smoke) has been making myself and other people pretty nauseous,” she said.

13181551_web1_jessfedigan-PGskies
13181551_web1_180815-CAN-M-smoke
Overlooking Castlegar, B.C.
13181551_web1_180817-WLT-SmokyMaskedFlagger
To handle the high risk air quality conditions in Williams Lake, Tyler Bobby, a flagger with Peterson Contracting, wears a mask Friday morning while working at the Highway 97 Toop and Carson intersection upgrade project.
13181551_web1_ThreeSistersSmokey_PGM8878
View from Three Sisters in Fernie, B.C.
13181551_web1_20180817_084043
In 100 Mile House Friday morning.
13181551_web1_180817-PWN-smoky-penticton-T
Smoky skies over Okanagan Lake in Penticton. (Photo courtesy of jurove/instagram)
13181551_web1_20180817_101637
At the shores of Dragon Lake near Quesnel.
13181551_web1_Smokyskies-richmond
Smoky sunset in Richmond (MoiraSmyth/Twitter)
13181551_web1_Smokyskies-bcwildfire-service
Bridge and highway in Fort St. James Thursday (BC Wildfire Service/Twitter)
13181551_web1_HarrisonLake-Ferguson
At Harrison Lake.
13181551_web1_smoky_sun
View from Cranbrook
13181551_web1_BPD-blank-spacer-650x1


About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
Read more