Wildfires foul Metro Vancouver air quality

Air quality in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Regional District has deteriorated due to smoke from forest fires in B.C.'s interior, Metro Vancouver officials said as they issued an air quality advisory Wednesday.

Elevated levels of particulate matter have been detected at air quality monitoring stations throughout the region, particularly in the eastern portion of the Lower Fraser Valley in Hope, Chilliwack and Abbotsford, air quality planner Laurie Bates-Frymel said in a release.

Bates-Frymel said particulate matter could also be described as "fine soot."

Current conditions are expected to persist for the next 24 hours, but forecasted showers are expected to improve air quality by Thursday afternoon, she said.

Bates-Frymel recommended that people sensitive to changes in air quality avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have underlying medical conditions such as lung or heart disease.

More than 400 wildfires were burning in the province Wednesday.