UPDATE: The air quality advisory and open burning restrictions in the Comox Valley have been lifted. The pollutant concentrations are now lower due to changing weather conditions.
An air quality advisory has been issued for parts of the Comox Valley. Earle Plain, with the Ministry of the Environment, says health officials have detected high concentrations of fine particles in the air primarily caused by wood smoke. Plain says “the weather conditions are a lot cooler than they have been over the past month and we see people starting to use their wood stoves more, so it’s from a combination of open smoke burning and smoke from wood stoves.” People with chronic underlying medical conditions are advised to stay indoors. The open burning ban is in effect until the advisory has been lifted.