TORONTO — Toronto remains on high alert as wildfire smoke continues to blanket large parts of southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The orange air quality warning issued by Environment Canada (EC) on Wednesday remains in effect today, with officials stressing that “everyone’s health is at risk, regardless of age or health status” – to read the entire alert, click here.
The agency continues to advise residents to limit time outdoors, avoid strenuous physical activity, keep windows and doors closed, wear a well-fitting N95 respirator if they must go outside, seek medical attention if they experience significant symptoms, and follow guidance from local authorities.
Compared with the previous day, however, air quality has deteriorated significantly. According to the real-time rankings of IQAir, the Swiss company that operates the world’s largest air quality monitoring platform, Toronto’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 271 at 12:15 p.m. today (see the graphic below) , placing it in the “very unhealthy” category. The day before, the AQI had been 182, classified as simply “unhealthy.” Although Toronto dropped from first to second place in IQAir’s global ranking—with Detroit taking the top spot—the worsening AQI indicates that conditions have become more hazardous, underscoring the need for residents to continue to take precautions, even more than yesterday.
As a result, several outdoor events have been cancelled. The City of Toronto also closed all outdoor swimming pools and wading pools for a second consecutive day, while city-run summer camps and childcare centres moved activities indoors and cancelled all field trips. Similar measures have been implemented in Mississauga.
Meanwhile, wildfires continue to burn across northwestern Ontario. According to the provincial government, as of 8 p.m. Wednesday there were 136 active wildfires, 63 of them out of control. Evacuation orders remain in place for several communities, including Armstrong, Lac La Croix First Nation, Whitesand First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation. One fast-moving blaze has damaged or destroyed homes and other buildings in Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, north of Thunder Bay.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said emergency crews are working around the clock to contain the fires and that the province will spare no expense to protect residents. That safety, however, is now threatened even in areas far from the flames, as smoke continues to spread across southern Ontario.
Environment Canada expects air quality in Toronto to begin improving on Friday, tomorrow, aided by more favourable weather conditions after the recent heat warning was lifted. Much, however, will depend on how the wildfires evolve in the days ahead.
In the pic above, York Mills and Leslie (North York, Toronto) today at 6.30am (photo: Marzio Pelù)
