The smoky haze and campfire smell that has settled over the city had some residents of Cambridge reacting with alarm on social media Tuesday.
Environment Canada issued an air quality warning for the second day in a row in response to the smoke from wildfires burning in Quebec and northern Ontario.
The alert warned that air quality in southern Ontario will likely be impacted for the remainder of the week.
Residents are advised to retreat to cool, clean air at home or to find a space indoors with filtered air, such as the library or shopping mall.
The provincial Air Quality Index places Waterloo region at moderate risk, recommending people with asthma and other respiratory conditions avoid outdoor activity and for the general population to take precautions if breathing is affected.
The worst air quality in the province is in the Belleville and Kingston areas. Both regions are listed as high risk with warnings to stay inside as much as possible.
A map showing where fires are burning in Ontario shows two fires west of Pembroke with the majority of fire activity near Elliot Lake.
Another map shows the current smoke forecast.
Higher than normal fire activity is predicted across the country this summer.
Canadian Press reports that as of late Monday afternoon, 424 fires were burning across Canada, more than 250 of which are considered out of control.
