Waterloo region and area set to experience 2nd day of bad air quality due to wildfire smoke

Waterloo region and area set to experience 2nd day of bad air quality due to wildfire smoke

Burn bans in effect in townships, smoke may clear Friday morning

Smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario continues to hang over Waterloo region, Guelph and area as the community remains under an orange-level weather warning for air quality.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says people can expect the smoke to remain in the area all day.

"Conditions may improve Friday morning," the weather alert says.

The Air Quality Ontario website said Kitchener and Guelph were both at 10+ on Thursday morning, or at "very high risk." The outlook for the day says that could drop to eight by the evening.

Wildfire smoke reaches Waterloo region and area

The conditions mean local municipalities have implemented some measures to keep people safe, including:

It's recommended people limit how much time they spend outside and watch for symptoms related to the smoke, including eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough.

Wildfires in the northwestern Ontario near Thunder Bay are leading to mandatory evacuations, displacing hundreds of people. Some people have been flown to Toronto until the wildfires clear.

Kate is the producer for CBC Kitchener-Waterloo. She has been covering issues in southern Ontario for more than 20 years. Reach her by email: kate.bueckert@cbc.ca.