Environment and Climate Change Canada's meteorologists providing support to battle B.C.'s forest fires

VANCOUVER, Aug. 22, 2017 /CNW/ - Since the wildfires in B.C. started earlier this summer, Environment and Climate Change Canada weather-service staff, like Senior Meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau, have been providing 24/7 up-to-date weather information, local smoke-dispersion forecasts, and medium- and long-term weather forecasts to assist with the management of the situation and the deployment of federal resources.

Environment and Climate Change Canada also offers several products to help Canadians protect themselves from the wildfire smoke:

One of our senior meteorologists, Alyssa Charbonneau, working from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Storm Prediction Centre in Vancouver, B.C., to support B.C.’s Wildfire Service. (CNW Group/Environment and Climate Change Canada)

• Air Quality Health Index forecasts to inform Canadians of the impacts wildfire smoke may have on human health. These forecasts are issued twice a day, and current air‑quality conditions are updated hourly.
• Wildfire-smoke forecast maps to help predict how smoke from the wildfires is expected to travel.
• Air-quality alerts, prepared in collaboration with provincial health authorities, for communities at immediate risk from air pollution caused by dense wildfire smoke.
• The latest information on wildfire smoke and air quality at weather.gc.ca.

In response to the prolonged and significant nature of the fire situation in B.C., Environment and Climate Change Canada is also offering enhanced support and additional expert capacity by

• Deploying an Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist to work at the B.C. Wildfire Service in Williams Lake, B.C.
• Using Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologists from the Pacific Storm Prediction Centre in Vancouver, B.C., to prepare and deliver daily fire-weather briefings normally prepared by provincial staff.
• Deploying a high-resolution weather model over the impacted portion of B.C. to ensure that detailed forecast information is available.

Quote

"I am proud of the work that our meteorologists continue to provide, from our storm prediction centre located in Vancouver, in helping combat one of the worst forest-fire seasons in B.C. history."
– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Marie-Pascale Des Rosiers, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 613-462-5473, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll free), [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.ec.gc.ca