You can smell the wildfire smoke in the air in the Metro Vancouver region, and we can expect to see the heat and wildfire smoke continue through the weekend these next couple of days.

Air quality has declined as more wildfires burn in British Columbia, requiring help from international firefighters to assist emergency crews here to deal with the issue.

The wildfire smoke has prompted an air quality advisory from Environment Canada. Officials warn that the wildfire smoke in BC is causing poor air quality and also reduced visibility as well.

The air quality advisory has been issued for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. There are still thousands who have been issued evacuation orders or been placed on warning that they could be evacuated.

It has been a tough wildfire season in BC

The demand that has been placed on emergency crews here has already been significant this season with wildfires burning around the province. A state of emergency over the wildfires had to be declared eventually.

It has been reported that many of those fires burning on the West Coast and around British Columbia have been started by lightning, but there are a few of them that have also been linked to human activity as well.

Cooling Centers Around Vancouver

Cooling centers can be found around Metro Vancouver and other areas in the Fraser Valley and throughout BC. Some of the common cooling centers that people have visited through the heatwave this summer we have seen include places like community centers, libraries, and malls.

Misting stations have also been set up previously around the Metro Vancouver region and various drinking fountains can also be found in Vancouver and other cities in the province.

Aside from those cooling center locations in Burnaby, Vancouver, and other areas, along with misting stations, and fountain locations, other solutions people have gravitated toward have also been trying to keep cool at home or finding shady spots in the city that are well covered to enjoy.

How to keep cool without air conditioning

There is a bounty of tips available when looking for ideas on how to keep cool at home. Millions of people don’t have air conditioning, including many homes in BC, and that leaves some wondering how to keep cool without air conditioning.

This has fueled a great deal of creativity and idea sharing, as far as how to keep cool tips goes, with different recommendations made to help that include ice packs, misting with water, placing feet in cold buckets, and more.

Because of the heat there are some places that people have found might be too hot to live in when the temperature rises to an uncomfortable degree, and A/C units have been hard to come by as the heatwave hit the West Coast this summer.

One group that has been suffering greatly without air conditioning are seniors in our communities in the province.

Air Conditioning Growing In BC

The number of homes that are gravitating towards air conditioning in BC seems to be growing. A number of air conditioners and fans being sold this summer have been sold at a premium and been hard to find. With the struggle that the extreme heat poses, especially for some groups like the elderly, it has caused some to ask the question of whether or not air conditioning might be a human right? This has been asked on more than one occasion.

The record breaking heat wave that we have seen this year has reportedly been responsible for hundreds of deaths along the West Coast, including pets as well.

Without air conditioning it has people looking for cooling centers, heading to stay with friends or family who do have AC, or looking for a myriad of other solutions that might help to cool things down.

Right now the Pacific Northwest is bracing again for a multiday heat wave.

Despite the record temperatures though and the wildfire smoke concerns it is still expected to be a busy weekend, especially for BC Ferries, for people who are out enjoying their summer.