BC keeps orange and yellow air warnings amid wildfire smoke

Air quality warnings remain in effect across much of British Columbia on Thursday, August 6, 2026, as wildfire smoke from multiple fires continues to blanket communities, posing significant health risks. Environment Canada has reissued orange warnings, indicating a very high health risk, for the eastern Fraser Valley and for several communities in the southern Interior, including Princeton, Merritt, Ashcroft, Kamloops, and 100 Mile House. Yellow warnings, which denote a high health risk, are in place for the rest of the Lower Mainland, the Okanagan region from Osoyoos to Salmon Arm, and the communities of Little Fort and Williams Lake.

The smoke originates from wildfires burning in the South Cariboo, the southern Interior, and a complex of fires near Boston Bar in the Fraser Canyon. Southerly winds have transported the smoke over vast regions, with conditions expected to persist for the next 24 to 48 hours until a change in weather occurs. On the provincial Air Quality Health Index, the North and South Okanagan and Kamloops registered at 10, the highest possible rating, on Thursday morning. The eastern Fraser Valley also reached a 10 rating earlier in the week.