With the Wesley Ridge wildfire continuing to burn, Island Health is reminding people of the increased levels of health risks associated with wildfire smoke, and what people can do to take care of their body.
Over the past week the Nanaimo region, including Cedar, South Wellington and Cassidy, had an air quality warning 鈥� since removed 鈥� due to the Wesley Ridge fire, which started on July 31.
As of the last update on Thursday, Aug. 7, the region is clear of any air quality warnings, including those previously issued for east central Vancouver Island and inland Vancouver Island. Additionally, the air quality index shows low risk in Nanaimo.
Dr. Mark Cachia, interim medical health officer for Nanaimo and Oceanside, said some individuals, including those with chronic respiratory conditions, heart disease, diabetes or other chronic conditions, are more susceptible, as are seniors, pregnant individuals, and people who work outside.
"Different people can respond differently to smoke and certain folks can be more susceptible to the impacts of smoke," Cachia said. "So one of the tools we use is the air quality health index, which ranks air quality from 1 to 10-plus and there are different messages for people who are part of the general population and those who are a bit at higher risk."
One of the most important things, according to the doctor, is for a person to pay attention to how their body is doing, and be proactive in reaching out for health care if they need it.
"Some things individuals can do to reduce their risk include gauging how they're feeling outside, especially with physical activity, because that increases your breathing so there is potentially more exposure. So if breathing becomes more difficult or uncomfortable, you can stop [the activity] and reduce your risk."
Other tips include staying cool and drinking plenty of fluids. Should air quality worsen, individuals can look into a commercially available HEPA filter to clean the indoor air, or look into a homemade box fan air filter. Masks can also be worn to filter out particulate matter.
According to B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Parks, the cooler temperatures have helped improve the air quality.
The air quality index for the Nanaimo area can be viewed online at . More information on current air quality warnings and what people can do is available at
