{"id":803612,"date":"2026-07-15T14:14:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/803612\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T14:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:14:10","slug":"mississaugas-air-quality-affected-by-wildfire-smoke-city-of-mississauga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/803612\/","title":{"rendered":"Mississauga\u2019s air quality affected by wildfire smoke \u2013 City of Mississauga"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Wildfire season is underway in Canada, with fires burning across several regions, including northern Ontario. Smoke is now affecting southern Ontario, including Mississauga, leading to poor air quality and reduced visibility.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-98425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_1889-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Hazy sky with buildings in Mississauga\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>Smoke from forest fires is expected to impact air quality in Mississauga, with conditions that may persist through the day. As smoke levels rise, so do health risks \u2014 making it important for residents to stay informed and take steps to protect themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Wildfire smoke can travel long distances and differs from typical urban air pollution. It contains fine particles and harmful gases that can enter the lungs and bloodstream, potentially causing inflammation and affecting overall health.<\/p>\n<p>Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) monitors and reports air quality using the <a href=\"https:\/\/weather.gc.ca\/airquality\/pages\/onaq-001_e.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)<\/a> and issues Special Air Quality Statements when conditions worsen. Residents are encouraged to check these tools regularly.<\/p>\n<p>Open-air burn restriction in effect<\/p>\n<p>Due to hot and dry weather, fire risk in Mississauga is very high. To help protect the community, Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services has issued an open-air burn restriction.<\/p>\n<p>What this means<\/p>\n<p>Outdoor burning is not allowed anywhere in the city<br \/>\nAll burn permits are cancelled until further notice<br \/>\nWood-burning devices such as fire pits, chimineas, bonfires and outdoor fireplaces are not permitted<\/p>\n<p>This restriction does not apply to:<\/p>\n<p>Barbecues and cooking appliances<br \/>\nSmall cooking or ceremonial fires<\/p>\n<p>Residents should use caution with outdoor cooking and follow all fire safety guidance.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/services-and-programs\/health-and-safety\/fire-and-emergency-services\/open-air-burning\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">open-air burning<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Poor air quality and health impacts<\/p>\n<p>Exposure to wildfire smoke can cause a range of symptoms. As conditions worsen, the likelihood of health effects increases.<\/p>\n<p>Common symptoms include:<\/p>\n<p>Eye, nose and throat irritation<br \/>\nHeadaches<br \/>\nMild cough<\/p>\n<p>More serious (but less common) symptoms include:<\/p>\n<p>Wheezing<br \/>\nChest pain<br \/>\nSevere coughing<\/p>\n<p>If you experience severe symptoms or think you may be having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical attention.<\/p>\n<p>People who are more likely to be impacted include:<\/p>\n<p>Adults aged 65 and older<br \/>\nPregnant people<br \/>\nInfants and young children<br \/>\nPeople with existing health conditions, especially heart or lung issues<br \/>\nPeople who work outdoors<\/p>\n<p>These groups should reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities and seek medical advice if symptoms develop.<\/p>\n<p>Reduce your exposure<\/p>\n<p>Reducing your exposure to smoke is the best way to protect your health. As air quality worsens, residents should limit time outdoors and adjust daily activities where possible.<\/p>\n<p>Take these steps to stay safe:<\/p>\n<p>Limit time outdoors and reschedule sports, events or strenuous activities<br \/>\nStay indoors as much as possible<br \/>\nKeep windows and doors closed, especially when air quality is poor<br \/>\nDuring extreme heat, prioritize keeping cool while minimizing smoke exposure<br \/>\nCheck on neighbours, friends and family members who may be more vulnerable<\/p>\n<p>If you must be outdoors, a well-fitting respirator mask (such as an N95 or equivalent) can help reduce exposure to fine particles, though some health risk may remain.<\/p>\n<p>Improve indoor air quality<\/p>\n<p>Taking steps to protect indoor air can make a significant difference during smoke events.<\/p>\n<p>To improve air quality at home:<\/p>\n<p>Use the highest-quality air filter your HVAC system can support<br \/>\nUse a certified portable air cleaner to filter fine particles<br \/>\nSet your ventilation system to recirculate air when outdoor air quality is poor<br \/>\nLimit the use of exhaust fans that can draw smoke indoors<\/p>\n<p>If needed, consider spending time in public spaces like libraries, community centres, or shopping malls, which often have better air filtration systems.<\/p>\n<p>Stay informed<\/p>\n<p>Air quality conditions can change quickly. Residents are encouraged to:<\/p>\n<p>Staying informed helps you take action early to protect your health and reduce exposure.<\/p>\n<p>Wildfires and climate change<\/p>\n<p>Climate change is contributing to more frequent and intense wildfires. Hotter, drier conditions make forests more prone to burning and allow fires to spread faster and further.<\/p>\n<p>As a City, we are adopting proactive measures, including\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/city-of-mississauga-news\/news\/mississauga-prunes-process-to-deliver-better-forestry-services\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">better forest management<\/a>, community preparedness, and plans aimed at mitigating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/20144905\/City-of-Mississauga-Climate-Change-Action-Plan.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">climate change<\/a>, to reduce the occurrence and impact of these destructive events in our community.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    Tags&#13;<br \/>\n                                    &#13;<\/p>\n<p>    Media contact<\/p>\n<p>City of Mississauga Media Relations<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/city-of-mississauga-news\/news\/mississaugas-air-quality-affected-by-wildfire-smoke-2\/mailto:media@mississauga.ca\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">media@mississauga.ca<\/a><br \/>905-615-3200, ext.\u00a05232<br \/>TTY:\u00a0905-896-5151<br \/><a class=\"newsnews\" href=\"https:\/\/preferences.enewsmississauga.ca\/subscribe?category=City%20of%20Mississauga\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Get email updates<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wildfire season is underway in Canada, with fires burning across several regions, including northern Ontario. Smoke is now&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":803613,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194297],"tags":[49,48,55405],"class_list":["post-803612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mississauga","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-mississauga"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=803612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803612\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/803613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=803612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=803612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=803612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}