Alberta wildfires: How to protect your health as smoke travels across Canada

Wildfires release pollutants into the air, including sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds which can be hazardous to human health.

As wildfires continue to burn in British Columbia and Alberta, the effects of the flames are being felt across Canada with thick plumes of smoke travelling thousands of kilometres, from the Northwest Territories to the east coast.

When a wildfire burns, it releases pollutants into the air, including sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which can be hazardous to human health in the short and long term.

“It can travel miles and miles away from the actual fire,” explained Angela Yao, a senior scientist at B.C. Centre for Disease Control. “And when it reaches us, it can get pretty deep into our lungs and cause inflammation.”

Symptoms from wildfire smoke can vary, Yao said.

Mild symptoms may include irritated eyes, sore throat or headaches, while more severe symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pains are more likely to affect vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with preexisting conditions like asthma or diabetes.

Wildfire season in Canada is not only becoming longer due to a warming climate but also more intense, explained Mohit Bhutani, a lung specialist at the University of Alberta.

And as a result, there’s a lot more smoke and a lot more particulate matter that gets released into the air, he added.

“Every year, we’re seeing more and more patients in emergency rooms who are having symptoms due to the wildfires,” Bhutani said.  We’re seeing patients who may not normally have had problems with their underlying lung and heart disease, have the aggravation of those conditions and require more urgent follow-up.”