Wildfire smoke triggers air quality advisory for Calgary

An air quality advisory has been issued for Calgary as wildfire smoke affected visibility in the city on Thursday.

A special air quality statement was issued just before 2:30 a.m. Thursday, and was upgraded to an advisory at 10:30 a.m.

Air quality was deemed a very high riskas of 3 p.m. according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, with the Air Quality Health Index at 10.

The poor air quality isexpected to continueintoFriday.

The Calgary Stampeders said in a post on X Thursday afternoon that the teamismonitoring the smoky conditions ahead of itsCFL matchup against the Ottawa Redblacks in Calgary. As of 2:30 p.m., kickoff remains set for 7 p.m. at McMahon Stadium, and further updates will be provided through the team's social media if necessary.

Poor air quality and reducedvisibility from wildfire smokecan fluctuateover short distancesfrom hour to hour, Environment Canada says.

City residents areencouraged to limit their time outside and keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. Everyone is at risk regardless of their age or health.

The weather agency also recommends wearing a mask when outdoors and using an air filter or an air purifier in the home as long as it iscapable of filtering out the fine particlesfound in wildfire smoke.

• Tracking wildfires in Canada

People who are sensitive to the smoke including seniors, pregnant people and infants and young children and those withexisting illness or chronic health conditions are encouraged to avoidany strenuous activitiesoutdoors until it clears up.

"Listen to your body," the special air quality statement reads.

"Symptoms can include milder and more common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as serious but less common symptoms such as chest pains or severe cough. If you think you are having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical assistance."