CALGARY — A Calgary air quality official says smoke from wildfires in the northwestern United States has made the quality of air in the city worse than in Beijing and New Delhi.
Mandeep Dhaliwal, air quality program manager with the Calgary Region Airshed Zone, says he's never encountered anything this bad in the city before.
Smoke from fires in Washington state has been drifting over southern Alberta since earlier in the week.
As of early Wednesday morning, levels had shot past the upper end of the zero-to-10 scale used to measure air quality.
Alberta Health Services and Environment Canada are continuing to advise residents about potential health problems, including shortness of breath, irritated eyes and scratchy throats.
The City of Calgary has also imposed a fire ban to minimize the overall volume of smoke in the air.
The ban affects fire pits, recreational campfires and other wood-burning devices, such as fireplaces.
"This is the first time in my career that we've actually issued a ban due to poor air quality, even though it's in the bylaw that we have the power to do that,” said Calgary fire marshal Ed Kujat.
Anyone caught violating the fire ban could face a fine of up to $10,000.
The bad air is also affecting summer camps in the city.
Children at the Calgary Olympic Park cycling camp are having their outdoor times reduced. Officials said the kids are riding their bikes less and learning more about how to do repairs.
