Minister Warns of Worsening Wildfire Smoke Across BC in Coming Days

A woman paddles a kayak on False Creek as smoke from wildfires burning in B.C. and the United States hangs in the air, in Vancouver, B.C., on Sept. 3, 2025. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

British Columbia’s forests minister is warning that a thickening curtain of wildfire smoke around Metro Vancouver and other areas of B.C. will worsen in the coming days.

Heavy smoke in the air will continue to be a “major factor” in Vancouver and other areas of the province for the next two to four days, according to Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar, who made the remarks Sept. 3 at a press conference in Victoria, B.C., held in conjunction with Sarah Henderson, the scientific director for environmental health services with the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Parmar said that more than 6,000 lightning strikes in the past week, coupled with dry conditions and high temperatures, have resulted in a sharp increase in new wildfires across the province, with 155 active wildfires currently burning in B.C., of which 58 are classified as out of control.

“The immediate weather forecast will continue to create challenging wildfire conditions,” he said, adding that lightning is expected to come back later this week. “I cannot stress enough how vigilant people need to be at this time.”

Henderson echoed Parmar’s remarks, saying that significant smoke will be in the air around various parts of B.C. for the next three days, and warning that high temperatures can make the poor air quality even more of a health danger for some people. Environment Canada has air quality warnings listed all the way to the far northeast of the province and including Metro Vancouver, while Vancouver’s School Board has switched all school activities to taking place indoors.

An advisory issued Sept. 3 by the City of Vancouver urges residents to “find cleaner air” by seeking out places with air filtration, air conditioning, or public spaces such as shopping malls. In addition, it advises residents to close doors and windows if possible, avoid frying foods, smoking, and vacuuming if possible, and use air cleaners or filters to improve indoor air quality. The city says it has also installed cooling centres and clean air spaces due to the current amount of wildfire smoke in the air.

In terms of health tips, the city advisory also recommends to stay hydrated, keep outdoor activities short, wearing masks outdoors, or respirators rated N95 or higher, and checking on vulnerable family, friends, and neighbors several times per day to ensure they are fine. The city also has a webpage with the latest updates on wildfire smoke levels.

In his Sept. 3 briefing, Parmar also commented on the forced landing of a BC Wildfire Service helicopter on the same day in Pemberton, B.C., saying there were “no critical injuries.” The crew had been on the way to respond to a wildfire when the forced landing took place, with BC Wildfire Operations Director Cliff Chapman saying he was informed of four people on board at the time of the incident.

“First responder agencies are on site or en route and they will provide more updates as they come,” Parmar said.