Fraser Valley air quality ranks as unhealthy as Pakistan as smoke expands from wildfires

An air quality warning issued by Metro Vancouver Regional District expanded Tuesday to include more Fraser Valley cities as wildfire smoke worsened conditions to hazardous levels.

Chilliwack recorded an air quality index of 151 as of mid-afternoon Tuesday — ranking it worse than most cities globally. For comparison, Lahore, Pakistan, the third-worst city on IQAir's worldwide rankings, has an index of 155. The warning applies to Chilliwack, Agassiz, Hope, Abbotsford and Mission, with MVRD citing a high health risk in all five.

Abbotsford's index stood at 103, described as "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Across the Metro Vancouver region itself, the index was 55 — substantially better, but still affected by smoke from the complex of wildfires near Boston Bar and Manning Park, as well as fires in Washington and Oregon.

MVRD said smoke levels can shift rapidly with weather and fire behaviour. The advisory noted that conditions may persist "until there is a change in the weather," and forecasters reported a possible risk of thunderstorms later Tuesday that could alter the smoke patterns.

The city's air quality has ranged from fourth cleanest in the world to ranking near global pollution peaks depending on wildfire activity and wind patterns.