I'm in Alberta, in the smoke.

[Croney]

And feeling ignorant. Yesterday I was at home on the East Coast reading about the California fires, not knowing about the wildfires in BC that are sending smoke over the western part of Canada. We landed in Edmonton and wondered at the smog and haze. Now in Camrose, the day looks like dusk, and the air is acrid with smoke. If it's this bad so far away, I can only imagine how bad it is closer to the fires. A terrible emergency.

[Ohiogal]

1. Have there been any evacuations in your area due to the air quality?

I would imagine that people with respiratory illnesses would be having a pretty tough time.

I'm so sorry. I hope this goes away soon. It must be dreadful.

[Croney]

2. Thank you. I'm only here for a 10-day family visit.

I would think that vulnerable groups of people have been advised to stay indoors until this situation changes. It really is an eye-opener and I am going to donate to firefighting support.

[maltzmax]

3. A sobering reality

I live in Utah, and have been here about 15 years now. Smoke and haze have filled the valley I live in all summer. The fires have been awful, and I am sorry that people have died or lost their homes. There are also other forms of loss, either from fire or other impacts from global warming. I used to hike this beautiful trail next to a river in the fall. It would be filled with golden Aspen. It is now burned. I took my kids camping. It was their first time stargazing, going to a cave, and seeing bristlecone pines. The campground we stayed in? Now burned. I took my kids on their first backpacking trip. 95% of the forest was dead. There was no safe place to put a tent, as you are supposed to stay away from dead standing trees. Global warming has worsened drought and the bark beetle infestation. Bald mountain- my youngest was so proud to reach the top. He wants to go back. The once grand view is now nothing but dead trees for miles. And, even worse, we don't know if and in what way these areas will regenerate. What was once pine forest may turn to sagebrush as the climate continues to warm. The once natural regeneration that came from fire also no longer exists.

[LittleGirl]

4. Welcome to DU maltzmax

I have a few friends in Salt Lake and they mentioned the smoke this week too. It's horrible. Your description is just sad.
Thanks for sharing.

[Croney]

7. How devastating.

The sadness of your story brings tears to my eyes. With other problems--like the current disaster in the White House-- we can say, "This too shall pass." But when the very ground and air around us scream out doomsday warnings, there will be little chance of reversing what's coming.

[AZ8theist]

10. Have no fear.

Dear leader says Global Warming is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. It's not real.

[Hortensis]

16. Heartbreaking. I've lived in the west what you describe

and am living it now in the southeast. The dreadful losses are always painful to think about. We will not be leaving to our descendants the nation we inherited.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

5. Some news here on this issue...

B.C. Wildfires 2018: Fire season shaping up to be more intense than average

Crews have responded to 1,500 fires so far, compared to an average 1,100
CBC News · Posted: Aug 10, 2018 1:42 PM PT

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wildfires-1.4780912

(snip)

Higher than average fire season

Compared to a 10-year period, there are 1,500 fires so far this season when the average number would be 1,100, Skrepnek said.

"We've had — as of this morning — an estimated 188,000 hectares burned," Skrepnek said. "The average for this time of year is about 158,000."

But it still doesn't compare to 2017: by this time last year, we had burned over 600,000 hectares.

Includes maps.

Thanks for the post, Crony and stay safe......

[Croney]

9. Thank you for the info!

It's getting worse and worse.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

13. Keep an eye on this air quality site....

Alberta - Air Quality Health Index - Provincial Summary

Link: https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/provincial_summary/ab_e.html

Click on "Show Health Message" for explanations.

As you can see, many areas are shown as "Very High Risk" for Saturday, and many others are "High Risk". I wouldn't hesitate to wear a mask outdoors if you have respiratory problems, or just stay indoors where there's air conditioning. Just remember that super-fine particulate from fires is not necessary visible, even though it's the most damaging to your lungs. That's the reason for watching the government's monitoring system because their instruments do see the fines.

Best of luck!.......

[TallMike]

6. I feel ya Max

Just north of Yosemite here. Smoke was so bad last week visibility was down to a quarter mile. Dead trees everywhere. Some are calling for complete species collapse of Ponderosa Pine in the next 10 years. Major extinction event. Even the Cedars, which until about 2 years ago were immune from the beetle damage, are succumbing in alarming numbers.
Hang on. Its going to be a bumpy ride...

[AllaN01Bear]

8. i feel for u

i live in california usa. i have been wearing a particle mask that i got when we had the rim fire. i use it when i go outside.( i have heart problems). its now in the airconditioning ducts of buildings etc. i jast saw a map on du where the winds have carried the smoke to new york. city, so i can see how the smoke is impacting youall there . stay safe .

[AZ8theist]

11. if only ALL the smoke could be concentrated at Mar a Lago....

In all seriousness, instead of a dust mask, have you looked into a respirator? There's a lot of good ones on the market. (I'm restoring an old Chevy so I use them when painting). Respirators have a much better seal and virtually eliminate particulates.

[Wounded Bear]

12. Yeah, right here in the middle...

Western Washington is getting haze from the smoke to north and south. Normally, it doesn't cover that much area, but we have some of our own fires in Eastern Washington and the mountains. Ours are not as bad as CA and Canada, and fewer structures and people at risk as of now. But still...

Looks like half of North America is burning.

[smirkymonkey]

14. You know a real president would be focusing on this as a national emergency and doing

everything he could to help and support the victims of these wildfires, but no, not Fatass. He just sits on the toilet and tweets about how they are doing everything wrong when he knows absolutely NOTHING about what is going on or how to stop the fires.

He's such a worthless pile of blubber.

[Hortensis]

15. We're from Southern California, and for decades the

national media based on the east coast simply did not cover most of what happened out west. I remember homes near us, on mountains covered with residential neighborhoods 15 minutes on empty freeways from downtown LA, consumed by uncontrolled wildfire and no mention. If there were three significant fires and the smallest had "Malibu" in its name or region, that one, and only that one, would get covered.

Now these fires have become hugely catastrophic but, as you discovered, the east coast media coverage still doesn't begin to convey much of what's happening out there.

[oasis]

17. Trump dumps Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Ignorant voters

in 2016 have delayed the healing of planet Earth.