A couple of pictures from this morning's commute. Even though I was coughing and wheezing today, from what I've heard, it was not even comparable to other areas of the Lower Mainland.

My friend's fiance was sent home at 10 am after their building was filled with smoke and it was deemed too unsafe to work. And the Fraser Surrey Port was closed for business later in the day. And even schools in the area were closed.




Air quality is poor. People with breathing problems are being advised to stay indoors. I noticed it this morning - burning eyes and scratchy throat - and that was indoors. But the winds shifted this afternoon and I guess someone else got to feel it for a while.

The fire itself covers 200 hectares now (nearly 500 acres for those on imperial measures). 80 firefighters and 7 helicopters continue to battle the blaze, but it has gone undergroud causing difficulties. Consider a forest fire, but underneath the surface. Firefighters have the added danger of not knowing where it will pop up again.

There was a rumour today that the next plan was to flood the bog plain by opening up the dykes at the edge. I don't know how true that is but while novel, the thought of flooding is a little too fresh in the memory right now to make it a good plan in my mind.