Take heed of heat, smoke warnings this weekend
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/07/2021 (1754 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Smoke from fires across the province will hang in a haze across Manitoba through the weekend, which could be an issue for people with respiratory diseases, says a Brandon doctor.
On Friday, the province issued a heat and smoke warning extending into next week. The warning is a result of “wildland” fires burning in different parts of Manitoba and neighbouring provinces. The smoke will drift into Brandon and Westman.
People who work or exercise outside are more at risk because they breathe deeply and for longer, according to the province.
Dr. Brian Bookatz, a doctor at the Western Medical Clinic with a special interest in respiratory medicine, said smoke in the air is problematic for people with lung diseases such as asthma or COPD.
On Friday, the smoke wasn’t at ground level so it wasn’t dangerous, Bookatz said, but it could be smelled in the air earlier in the week.
“That’s the real problem for people with respiratory illnesses,” he said.
The combination of heat and smoke can be bad news for people with lung problems.
“You take the smoke, the heat, the humidity, that’s a bad combination for people with chronic airway disease,” he said.
If people find it difficult to breathe when outside he said they should use common sense and get inside. Air-conditioned environments are best, he said, as they are cooler and the air conditioners also filter the air of smoke particles.
Manitoba Health also suggests keeping an eye on young children and elderly people, who may be more sensitive to smoke.
People should also keep the windows up in vehicles and set the air system on “re-circulate” during periods of heavy smoke.
In Brandon, the air quality on Friday was low risk, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Similar conditions were forecasted to continue into Saturday.
All of southern Manitoba is under a heat warning. The temperature in Brandon is forecasted by Environment Canada to be 32 C on Saturday and 33 C on Sunday.
For more information on heat and health call Health Links–Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or toll-free 1-888-315-9257.
» dmay@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @DrewMay_