Manitoba remains under a state of emergency due to wildfires that continue to burn throughout the province. Thousands of people were evacuated from communities across Manitoba and relocated to Winnipeg and other areas not in the fire zone. Wildfires can have health implications for anybody breathing in particles in the air, but especially those more vulnerable to air pollution.

Dr. Chris Pascoe, CHRIM scientist and UM Associate Professor in the Department Physiology and Pathophysiology explains that while the air quality can have negative effects on everyone and their ability to breathe, people with underlying conditions — babies, kids, and the elderly– need to be even more cautious than most. “Babies and kids’ lungs are still developing,” explains Dr. Pascoe. “Lungs grow until about your early 20’s, so there’s a lot of development that’s happening, and we don’t want to stress the lungs early in life.”

Dr. Pascoe recommends keeping windows shut if it’s smokey outside, running an air purifier indoors if possible, wearing an N95 mask if you need to be outside, and keeping an eye on the air quality index. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a scale from 1 to 10+ designed to help understand what the air quality around you means to your health. The higher the number, the greater the health risk associated with the air quality. Health risks caused by inhaling smoke can include worsening of lung disease, hospitalization, or the requirement for medication.

“When the air quality index hits anywhere between 4-6, you want to think about limiting your exposure to the outdoor air,” adds Pascoe. “If it’s between 6-8, you want to keep yourself and the kids inside.”

You can check the air quality index through Environment Canada’s website here, and find wildfire updates from Shared Health here.