PEISmoke carried by winds from wildfires burning in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick affected many parts of Prince Edward Island on Thursday.Children, seniors, people with lung conditions may experience breathing difficultiesThinh Nguyen · CBC News · Posted: Aug 15, 2025 10:31 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoSkies were hazy across P.E.I. on Thursday as winds carried smoke from wildfires burning in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into this province. (CBC)The smoky smell that many Islanders noticed on Thursday has started to ease, but experts say the risk isn’t completely gone.Skies were hazy across P.E.I. on Thursday as winds carried smoke from wildfires burning in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into this province.Environment Canada’s Air Quality Health Index, which measures the risk of air pollution to health, was at level three — in the low-risk category — on Thursday. By Friday, it had dropped to two.Brian Proctor, a meteorologist with the federal agency, said Friday is expected to bring some relief because wind is expected to pick up and temperatures are set to drop.”We’re probably going to be seeing smoke sort of continuing off and on, but I don’t think we’ll see the super high concentrations at this point in time,” Proctor told CBC News.Health risks from wildfire smokeMichelle Donaldson, with the Lung Association of Nova Scotia and P.E.I., said lower air quality can have health implications, particularly for vulnerable populations.”The normal person is probably going to notice that it might become a little bit more difficult to breathe. They might get a little stuffy, their throat and eyes might get irritated,” Donaldson said.”But for somebody with a pre-existing lung condition, children, seniors, pregnant women, they’re more at risk. Somebody with a lung condition, it could cause a flare-up, so that particulate matter can get deep into the lungs and cause irritation, inflammation.”It can cause them to basically land in the hospital as a result of breathing in… wildfire smoke.”Plumes of smoke could be seen Wednesday by a roadblock north of a wildfire near Miramichi, N.B. (Pierre Fournier/CBC)She added that recent high temperatures and humidity can trap particulate matter, making it even harder to breathe.Donaldson recommended that Islanders take the following precautions when wildfire smoke affects Island skies: Stay indoors when possible and keep windows and doors closed. Wear N95 masks when outside. Use air conditioning on recirculation mode, and consider HEPA-filtered air purifiers or air conditioners to filter smoke from indoor air. People with chronic lung conditions should make sure they have a rescue inhaler on hand. Charlottetown Fire Department urges cautionThe smoke on Thursday prompted calls to the Charlottetown Fire Department.”Every time we do get a call from a concerned resident or somebody visiting, we are definitely going to follow up with an investigation to make sure that it’s nothing that is happening in our current jurisdiction,” Chief Tim Mayme said.The department continues to remind residents to take precautions to prevent wildfires, particularly with the elevated risk of mulch fires during the current dry spell.A provincewide fire ban is currently in effect. All open fires, including campfires and bonfires, are prohibited in order to reduce the risk of wildfires across the Island.Parks Canada has also issued a fire ban in Prince Edward Island National Park sites as a precaution during the current dry spell.With files from Island Morning, Gwyneth Egan and Maggie Brown
Less wildfire smoke in P.E.I. skies, but Islanders still advised to take precautions
