Wildfire smoke to impact Merritt ,Kamloops, and Shuswap areas into the weekend

A yellow air quality warning remains for the Kamloops, Shuswap and Merritt areas heading into the weekend.

Most of southern B.C. is under the same warning as smoke from wildfires wafts across the province.

According to the BC Wildfire Service’s smoke forecast, Merritt and the surrounding area will get a thick blanket of smoke through most of the next 24 hours, with a brief reprieve overnight.

Meanwhile, the Kamloops area is expected most of the smoke in the afternoon on Friday (Aug. 14) and Saturday (Aug. 15).

The B.C. government said brief smoke expose can cause health problems, but exposure over a prolonged period can lead to the possibility more serious concerns later on.

“Short-term smoke exposure can cause headaches, irritated eyes, sore throat, coughing and wheezing. It can also worsen existing heart and lung conditions. In the long term, smoke exposure can contribute to the development of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and dementia,” said the B.C. government.

“Some people are at greater risk of serious acute health effects, including people with asthma, heart disease or diabetes, as well as people who are pregnant, infants, young children and older adults.”

You can reduce smoke exposure by creating or going to a clean air space with a commercial or DIY air purifier or an HVAC filtration system.