For most of the weekend and especially Sunday, the greater Vancouver area has been blanketed by a smoky and thick haze originating from the dozens of wildfires blazing through the province. The haze has allowed people to take some amazing photos of the city. Vancouver is normally not covered in a thick layer of particulates, so it’s very odd to see.
Looking outside my window this afternoon, I could see the haze had descended through out my local area. I usually can see several miles away but not today. As the day wore on, it got progressively worse as the haze got thicker. I also began to smell the smoke as well. It smells like someone had lit a small fire outside my window, except that everyone in the entire city is smelling the exact same thing.
It was a blazingly hot and sunny day today and I was expecting to see a beautiful sunset. Instead, the smoke and haze got so thick, it was impossible to see the sun. From around 8pm and on, it looked like it had turned into a cloudy day but instead of clouds, it was the smoke that had blotted out the sun. Even now, at night, you can easily see the haze from just the streetlights as it lingers across the city.
I’ve never see this before in the Vancouver area. Some people with breathing issues are having to juggle closing their windows to stop the smoke from coming in versus the blistering temperatures that arise from having no circulation. I have an air purifier in my bedroom but I don’t think it’s been able to keep up. It still smells like smoke in there.
I’m hoping these fires get put out quickly and we get a respite from this heat. The whole province could use a few days of sustained rain.