Smoke and Heat. Living with Extremes.

We seem to be living in “extremes” this season as we learn about how extreme heat and extreme forest fire season (with associated poor air quality) can really wreak havoc on our health.

Our family and friends that live with chronic lung and/or heart conditions, those who are elderly, those who are young and those who are pregnant are all at risk. The good news is that we can shift our thinking and be prepared for these extreme weather events. The first step is to know when they are happening.

One way to know is to download the government of Canada WeatherCAN app on your device (smartphone or tablet). In the app, under notifications you can choose settings to receive alerts on your device about weather events.

As well, you can choose to receive Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) alerts at the level that you set. If you are at risk, and very sensitive to changes perhaps you set it at the moderate risk level of 4. If you are not that sensitive to air pollutants, perhaps you set it at the level in which you are triggered  i.e. a high risk level of 7.