Public health advisory issued for Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope due to wildfire smoke

Smoke from fires like this one near Yellowknife last week has prompted a health advisory for Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope

The office of the NWT Chief Public Health Officer has issued a public health advisory for residents of Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope due to wildfire smoke in the area.

The smoke is likely coming from a wildfire about 90 kilometres south-east of Tsiigetchic.

The advisory says other communities may be affected depending on weather.

Young children, pregnant women, elderly people and anyone with diabetes, lung or heart conditions are all at higher risk of developing smoke exposure symptoms.

That can be sore throat, runny eyes and nose and difficulty breathing.

Worse symptoms include wheezing and chest discomfort, anyone with those should visit their local health centre.

About the Author

John McFadden
John has been in the broadcast journalism industry since the 1980s. He has been a reporter in Yellowknife since 2012 and joined CKLB in January of 2018. John covers the crime and court beat as well as reporting on other areas including politics, business, entertainment and sports. He won seven national community newspaper awards while he was a journalist with Northern News Services Limited (NNSL). John worked in Ontario before coming North including stints as a TV sportscaster in Peterborough and senior news writer for CBC and CTV in downtown Toronto.