B.C.'s Fraser Canyon to bake under 39 C heat as wildfire prompts evacuation alerts

An air-quality warning remains in effect for parts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley due to smog and wildfire smoke from a blaze that has prompted evacuation alerts for the Yale and Spuzzum areas.

It comes as Environment Canada warns that temperatures in the Fraser Canyon and South Thompson regions are expected to reach 37 to 39 C this week, posing a moderate risk to public health.

The smog warning spans eastern areas of Metro Vancouver as well as the central Fraser Valley, while the smoke warning covers eastern parts of the valley.

The regional district says the smog, also known as ground-level ozone, is the result of local emissions combining with hot and sunny weather, that saw temperatures hit a national high of 40 Celsius in Lytton on Sunday.

It says smoke from the Sailor Bar wildfire burning in the Fraser Canyon has also resulted in elevated levels of fine particulate matter in the air.

The fire has prompted the Fraser Valley Regional District to issue an evacuation alert stretching from Yale and north to the Spuzzum area, covering properties on both the east and west sides of the Fraser River.

The Spuzzum First Nation has also issued an alert for properties on several reserves, with residents told to get ready to leave on short notice.

The 120-hectare blaze about seven north of Yale is one of four wildfires classified as burning out of control across B.C., among a total of about 70 active blazes.

The air-quality warnings were expected to last until at least Tuesday.

Heat warnings are in place for the Fraser Canyon, the South Thompson and inland areas of the north and central coasts with high temperatures expected to persist until at least mid-week.

The weather office says the mercury is expected to hit 29 C in the Terrace and Kitimat areas for the next several days.