After yesterday’s respite with fresh air, the southwestern section of the East Kootenay is once again blanketed in wildfire smoke. Environment Canada this morning (August 5) issued an air quality alert for Cranbrook, Kimberley and South Country areas of the region. These areas are being impacted or are likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke over the next 24-48 hours, Environment Canada said. During a wildfire, smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour. The next update will be available on August 5, and made available on the Province’s Air Quality Warnings Page (https://aqwarnings.