After Alberta, Nova Scotia is now grappling with the largest forest fire in its history. It has already burned over 20,000 hectares of land and is threatening New Brunswick as well.
In the Halifax area, where a state of emergency has been declared, nearly 200 homes have been damaged by the fire to date, 150 of which are completely destroyed. Other surrounding municipalities, such as Tantallon, Shelburne and Pubnico, are also affected by these devastating fires.
As in Western Canada earlier in May, these forest fires are severely undermining air quality, making physical work even more difficult for outdoor workers in these areas.
People with respiratory issues could be at risk and must monitor the situation closely.
As previously explained, Canada Post has adopted an operational policy to ensure that appropriate precautionary steps are taken in locations where poor air quality puts people’s health at risk, based on Environment Canada’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI):