I walked out my front door in downtown Vancouver yesterday to find the familiar silhouette of the North Shore mountains eerily missing, replaced by a thin veil of haze. While we’ve been breathing relatively clean air in the Lower Mainland lately, the same can’t be said for our neighbors in northeastern British Columbia.
Environment Canada has issued air quality statements for several communities in the Peace River region, where wildfires continue to burn despite the calendar’s insistence that we’re approaching autumn. The alerts cover Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, and surrounding areas, warning residents about the dangers of wildfire smoke that has settled over communities like a persistent fog.
“You can taste it when you step outside,” Eliza Ghostkeeper told me by phone from her home near Fort St. John. The 64-year-old elder from Blueberry River First Nations has lived in the region her entire life. “I’ve watched these fires get worse and worse over the decades. Now I keep my windows closed even on the hottest days.”
The BC Wildfire Service reports that over 40 active wildfires continue to burn in the Prince George Fire Centre, which encompasses most of northeastern BC. Several of these fires remain classified as “out of control,” with shifting winds pushing smoke into populated areas.
This late-season smoke event highlights a troubling trend. According to data from the Provincial Health Services Authority, hospital admissions for respiratory issues in northeastern BC typically increase by 8-12% during prolonged smoke events. The fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke—known as PM2.5—is small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
Dr. Sarah Henderson, scientific director of environmental health at the BC Centre for Disease Control, explains that these particles create cascading health effects. “We’re most concerned about vulnerable populations—elders, children, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing conditions,” she told me when I interviewed her last spring about the province’s growing smoke seasons. “But even healthy people experience inflammation and stress responses when exposed to poor air quality over time.”
When I visited Fort St. John in early June to report on the opening of a new community health center, locals were already discussing their preparations for what many now refer to as “smoke season.” The conversations revealed how normalized these dangerous air quality events have become.
“I installed a high-grade filtration system in my house last year,” said Marco Rodriguez, a heavy equipment operator who moved to the region from Ontario in 2011. “My kids used to get these summer colds that wouldn’t go away. Now I realize it was probably the smoke.”
The economic implications stretch beyond health concerns. Tourism operations across northern BC have reported cancellations during smoke events, and outdoor work—the backbone of many northern communities—becomes increasingly hazardous.
At the Pine Centre Mall in Prince George, I noticed portable air purifiers humming in nearly every store during my last visit. The mall has become an unofficial clean air shelter during the worst smoke days, with elderly residents and young families gathering in the food court simply to breathe easier for a few hours.
Environment Canada’s forecasts suggest the current air quality issues may persist for several days, depending on weather patterns and fire activity. The smoke can trap heat close to the ground, creating a feedback loop where hot, dry conditions further increase fire risk.
Climate scientists at the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium at the University of Victoria have documented how warming temperatures are extending British Columbia’s fire seasons on both ends—earlier springs and later falls mean longer periods of fire danger.
For communities in northeastern BC, this reality has forced adaptation. The Northern Health Authority has developed smoke readiness plans for healthcare facilities. Schools have established air quality thresholds for keeping children indoors during recess. Municipal buildings are increasingly designated as clean air shelters during the worst episodes.
Yet these measures address symptoms rather than causes. A 2023 report from Natural Resources Canada projected that wildfire seasons across Western Canada could increase in length by 30% by mid-century without significant climate action.
Back in Fort St. John, Ghostkeeper describes how traditional knowledge about fire has been lost. “My grandfather’s generation used controlled burns to manage the land,” she said. “They understood fire as medicine for the forest. Now we fear it because it’s out of balance.”
As northeastern residents check air quality indexes alongside weather forecasts, the current alerts serve as a reminder that our changing climate doesn’t follow the neat divisions of our calendar. While many British Columbians associate September with cooling temperatures and the return of rainfall, communities across the north continue to watch the skies for that distinctive orange tinge that signals danger on the wind.
For those affected by the current air quality statements, Environment Canada recommends staying indoors when possible, using air purifiers, and following medical advice for managing respiratory conditions. The provincial government’s air quality health index provides real-time monitoring at various stations throughout the region.
As I look toward the hazy horizon from my apartment window, I’m reminded that smoke knows no boundaries. The challenges facing northeastern BC today may easily be Vancouver’s tomorrow. The question isn’t whether we’ll face these issues, but how prepared we’ll be when they arrive.
