The active wildfires are burning an estimated 627,729 hectares of land in the province, which is about 9.6 percent of Saskatchewan’s entire landmass. Residents in many areas have been dealing with widespread smoke for weeks already and summer hasn’t even started.

That prolonged exposure could lead to long-term effects, according to health experts like Jill Hubick, a registered nurse and certified educator with Lung Saskatchewan.

“I think it’s important for everyone to think about the fact that our lungs are only meant to really breathe in clean air. It’s like your lungs are the internal air filter to the outside world, and so there is often short-term and long-term effects from inhaling smoke, and they can range from mild to severe,” she said.

On the milder side, people may experience i

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