What Do I Need to Know About Air Quality in Merritt?
The BC Ministry of Environment and Parks monitors air quality in BC and issues air quality warnings. A national network of Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) monitoring stations is used to forecast air quality health risk on a scale from 1 (low health risk) to 10+ (very high health risk).
Merritt is located in the Nicola Air Quality Region. The Nicola Air Quality Region does not have an AQHI monitoring station and consequently Merritt does not receive a local AQHI forecast. The AQHI monitoring station nearest Merritt is located in Kamloops.
Although Merritt does not receive an AQHI forecast, the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks may still issue air quality warnings for the Nicola Air Quality Region when air quality is expected to be impacted by wildfire smoke. Air quality warnings are posted on the BC Air Quality Warnings website.
What Are the Health Impacts?
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, symptoms of exposure to wildfire smoke include:
- Sore throat
- Eye irritation
- Runny nose
- Phlegm production
- Wheezy breathing
- Headaches
Who Is Most at Risk?
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, the following people are at greater risk of experiencing health impacts as a result of exposure to wildfire smoke:
- Older adults
- People with pre-existing chronic conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, and diabetes
- People who are pregnant
- Infants and young children
Where Is Wildfire Smoke Coming From?
During the summer wildfire season, air quality in Merritt is sometimes impacted by wildfire smoke. While smoke may originate from a nearby wildfire, it can also travel to Merritt from fires located hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away. FireSmoke.ca is a Canadian project that displays where smoke originates from and where it is travelling to. FireSmoke.ca data is also accessible as a layer in the BC Wildfire Service online map program.
The BC Air Quality Subscription Service
BC Air Quality can send you warnings via email and SMS text message when local air quality is forecasted to be poor. You can register to receive air quality warnings by visiting the BC Air Quality Subscription Service website at aqss.nrs.gov.bc.ca and subscribing to the “Nicola” air quality region.
The Merritt City Hall PurpleAir Monitor
In July 2026, the City of Merritt installed a PurpleAir “Zen” air quality monitor outside City Hall. The monitor uses a pair of lasers to measure the amount of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air. While the monitor is not an official AQHI monitoring station and the readings from the monitor are not meant to be interpreted as a complete AQHI reading, the monitor does still provide useful information about local air quality. You can use the PurpleAir map to check the monitor’s current reading as well as readings from other air quality monitors around the world.
This map shows the current reading from the City of Merritt’s PurpleAir monitor:
The Merritt Parcel Street Air Monitoring Station
The Merritt Parcel Street air monitoring station is not an AQHI monitoring station; however, it does collect local temperature, wind speed, and humidity data.
Where Can I Learn More?
We recommend visiting the following websites to learn more about air quality in Merritt:
