Smoke blankets B.C. Interior
Photo: Castanet
Smoke obscures the hillside south of downtown Kamloops on Friday, July 31, 2026.
Most of B.C.’s Southern Interior is dealing with wildfire smoke this weekend.
Environment Canada issued a yellow level air quality warning Saturday, saying smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility across some 20 regions for the next 24 to 48 hours.
Those impacted areas include the Okanagan Valley, North and South Thompson, Shuswap, Similkameen, Nicola, East and West Columbia, Boundary, Arrow and Slocan Lakes, the Kootenays, 100 Mile and the Cariboo, south including Williams Lake.
A yellow level means hazardous weather may cause health impacts that are moderate, localized, and/or short-term.
Parts of the Southern Interior have been dealing with smoky skies on and off for the past several weeks, with a number of large fires burning across the region and in Washington State.
During a wildfire, smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour, Environment Canada’s warning said.
People with lung and heart conditions, pregnant women, infants and young children, people aged 65 and older, and anyone whose health is affected by a chronic condition or acute illness can be more heavily susceptible to wildfire smoke.
During smoky conditions people should stop or reduce their activity level if breathing becomes uncomfortable or they feel unwell.
Photo: Environment Canada
An air quality warning is in effect for a large part of B.C.’s Southern Interior.
