Almost all of southern British Columbia was under an air quality warning on Friday as wildfire smoke blanketed the region.
Environment Canada said a high pressure system was parked over the province, preventing the smoke from clearing.
An orange warning for air quality was in place for much of the southern Interior, ranging from the Nicola region to the East Kootenays and north to the North Thompson region.
Environment Canada recommends people in those areas avoid strenuous outdoor activities and stay indoors in a space with cleaner air.
Multiple surrounding regions were under a yellow alert, indicating the level of harmful smoke in the air is less severe but could still impact health.
A yellow alert for air quality issued for the Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley area earlier this week was ended Friday.
Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) stations in Williams Lake, Kamloops, the north, central and south Okanagan, Cranbrook, and Castlegar were reporting very high risk for smoke on Friday, and were forecasting high risk for smoke into Saturday night.
Environment Canada says people with health conditions, pregnant people, children and older adults are more likely to be impacted by smoke.
It said people should seek medical help if they have difficulty breathing, chest pain or a severe cough.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said about 100 active wildfires were burning in the province, including major fires in the Fraser Canyon, Cariboo and Okanagan regions that have forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
The service said the lingering smoke was reducing visibility for aircraft and fire detection technology, and encouraged people to report any new wildfires they spot.
