Metro Vancouver has ended the air quality advisory for the region following a destructive fire in Richmond that caused plumes of thick black smoke to furl overhead.
The fire broke out on an empty loading bay and private dock on River Drive, near the River Rock Casino on Thursday, June 20 around 8 p.m.
The blaze quickly spread to the trestle bridge and Richmond Fire-Rescue (RFR) crews battled it until the 5 a.m. Friday morning.
While the air quality began improving early Friday morning, a special air quality statement remained until around 11:30 a.m. due to smoky conditions.
Metro Vancouver warned the public to move indoors if they smelled smoke in their area and to close windows, doors and air intakes to reduce exposure to the odour.
The agency also advised locals to seek medical attention if they experienced "chest discomfort, shortness of breath, severe coughing or wheezing, and dizziness."
A ridge of high pressure keeping Metro Vancouver air quality hazy
Environment Canada meteorologist Ken Dosanjh told V.I.A. a ridge of high pressure prevented the smoke from clearing the area; it is also responsible for Friday's unseasonably hot, humid temperatures.
V.I.A.'s Downtown Centre Weatherhood station shows a high of 26 C on Friday, well above the seasonal average of 19.5 C.
Environment Canada's forecast also includes inland highs up to 29 C. With humidity, coastal temperatures will feel more like 29 C and 32 C, respectively.
"The ridge of high pressure makes it hard for smoke to disperse because the ridge compresses the smoke," he said.
Metro Vancouver removed the air quality advisory but hazy conditions will persist as smoke lingers in the area, added Dosanjh.
The smoke should start clearing significantly this evening as a low moves onto the coast from off-shore, bringing winds up to 20 km/h.
Metro Vancouver wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that there "may be a smell of smoke for some time near where the fire burned."
The Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes cooler, possibly wetter conditions this weekend.
With files from the Richmond News
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