Smoke in B.C. Interior causing poor air quality but helping fire fight

Many of the blazes burning across the province have been smoked out for a number of days and have resulted in poor air quality, but have helped in the fire fight.

The remarks by Cliff Chapman with the B-C Wildfire Service come as a thick layer of smoke settles over the city of Penticton, B.C., and drifts south from the Summerland region, where the Bald Range fire forced thousands to flee.

Chapman says the smoke settled in valley bottoms and was helping suppress flames by preventing the fires from contacting clean oxygen and spreading.

He says a shift in weather that causes the smoke to clear may increase the potential of the fire spreading.

About 100 fires are burning across B.C., with about half burning out of control.

Chapman says there had been fire growth on many of the wildfires burning across B.C. despite tempered wind, which also speaks to the dryness and drought conditions in southern B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2026.

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