Health officials warn about air quality from N.S. wildfires

Sydney -

Health officials in the Maritimes are warning people about the dangers of the thick acidic smoke from the wildfires.

“We know there is no safe level of exposure to wildfire smoke. Everybody has some level of smoke risk, but this is higher for small children, women who are pregnant, the elderly, and people with underlying significant lung or heart conditions,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Medical Officer of Nova Scotia.

The warning is not only for people living close to the fires, the winds can carry the smoke far distances.

“So if there is wildfire smoke, and that means when you can see and smell smoke, then the local air quality is being negatively impacted,” said Dr. Strang.

Early mornings or late nights is some of the worst times to be outside, because cooler temperatures keep the smoke closer to the ground.

Burning eyes, sore throat, and runny noses are just some of the symptoms exposure to the smoke can cause.

“Studies over the past 10 years so clearly that particulates in wildfire smoke contain large amounts of so called heavy metals,” said Douglas Mulhall, author of Discovering the Nature of Longevity.

Mulhall says other studies link the smoke to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

“The first thing you can do when you're outside is wear a mask. The same N95 mask people have been wearing for years now. This is a big advantage,” he said.