Quebec City, QC Live Wildfire Smoke Map
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The moment a wildfire starts near you, you'll get an instant alert and simple tips to reduce your smoke exposure.
What's In The Smoke
30xSmaller than a human hair
Fine enough to reach deep into the lungs. A MERV 13 is built to capture it.
How Far It Travels
It Doesn't Stay Local
Smoke rides the wind far downwind — you can get smoky air with no fire nearby.
What To Do During A Smoke Event
Simple steps to reduce indoor exposure.
- Stay In, Close UpShut windows and doors to keep smoke out.
- Set Fan To "On"Keeps air cycling through your filter, not just when heating or cooling.
- Recirculate AirSwitch off fresh-air intake so you're not pulling smoke in.
- Run A MERV 13Built to capture the fine PM2.5 in smoke.
- Add A PurifierExtra filtration for the room you use most.
- Wear an N95 if OutsideFits snug to block fine particles — a cloth mask won't.
The Best Air Filter For Wildfire Smoke
During smoke events, the EPA recommends upgrading to a MERV 13 filter — or the highest-rated filter your system can handle — to help reduce the fine particles smoke brings indoors. MERV 13 is the level most home HVAC systems can run while still capturing PM2.5, the fine particulate that makes up the bulk of wildfire smoke.
- Captures PM2.5 particles
- Blocks ash, soot, and smoke odor
- Keeps your indoor air safe—even when the outdoor air is dangerous
- Meets the EPA's recommended rating for filtering fine wildfire smoke particles.
Wildfire Smoke FAQs
Facts About Wildfires
Over 70,000 wildfires burn in the U.S. every year.
Wildfire smoke can travel 1,000+ miles, affecting states that aren't even near the blaze.
Exposure to wildfire smoke can worsen asthma, trigger heart issues, and lead to ER visits.
Indoor air can hold more fine particles during wildfire events unless it's properly filtered.
The EPA advises using MERV 13 filters or portable HEPA air cleaners during wildfire smoke events.
Don't Wait Until The Smoke's Inside.
Use the live wildfire smoke tracker and upgrade your air filters today to protect your lungs and your home.
Shop Filters For Smoke Protection
Live Quebec City, QC Forest Wildfire & Smoke Map Today: Local Air Quality Tracking & Indoor Protection Solutions
TL;DR
Quebec City rarely burns, but it often breathes smoke from boreal fires hundreds of kilometres away. Check the live map, then the AQHI or IQA, and act on whichever score is worse. When readings climb, run MERV 13 in your HVAC if you have one, set the fan to On, and run a portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room.
Key Takeaways
Health Canada recommends HVAC filters rated MERV 13 or higher to remove the fine particles (PM2.5) in wildfire smoke.
Many Quebec City homes have baseboard heat and no furnace filter, so portable HEPA air cleaners are their main filtration layer.
Filterbuy's action line is an AQHI of 7+ (or 100 on AirNow's U.S. AQI): run MERV 13, set the fan to On, and run a HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room.
In Filterbuy's experience, homes that set up filtration before the haze arrives handle smoke best.
How to Read the Live Quebec City Wildfire and Smoke Map
Fire icons come from the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS), and grey shading is satellite-detected smoke that may sit high overhead, so treat the map as the first of three checks:
Find the fires. Open SOPFEU's active fire map, then the Capitale-Nationale regional fire situation for fires near Quebec City.
Follow the plume. Environment Canada's FireWork smoke forecast shows where smoke is headed over 72 hours.
Confirm at ground level with the Québec City AQHI or Québec IQA map, and trust these monitors over the map.
Quebec City Has Two Air Quality Scores: AQHI vs. IQA
Quebec City residents see two scores: the federal AQHI and Québec's IQA (Indice de la qualité de l'air).
Sources: Environment and Climate Change Canada; Québec Ministère de l'Environnement. The IQA forest fire tracking layer is available May 1 – September 30.
What the AQHI numbers mean for your household:
AQHI = Air Quality Health Index, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada.
What to do when smoke reaches Quebec City. Filterbuy's action line is an AQHI of 7 or higher on Environment Canada's scale, or 100 on AirNow's U.S. AQI scale. At that point, check Environment Canada's alerts and follow public health guidance first, then take these four steps:
Run MERV 13 in your HVAC system. If your home has ducts, switch to a MERV 13 filter in your size. It's the whole-home layer.
Set the thermostat fan to On. "Auto" only filters while the system heats or cools.
Run a portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room, bedrooms first. In homes without ducts, these are the main layer.
Close the house up. Keep windows and doors shut, go easy on exhaust fans, which Health Canada notes can pull outside air in, and skip candles, the wood stove, frying, smoking, and vacuuming.
Keep one date in mind: the IQA's forest fire layer switches off September 30, but a dry fall in 2025 brought SOPFEU 143 October fires against an average of 16, according to its 2025 review. After that date, rely on the AQHI and FireWork. For other cities, see our live Canada air quality map.
Where Quebec City's Wildfire Smoke Comes From
For Quebec City, smoke is about wind more than distance: winds carry smoke from Québec's northern boreal fires south into the St. Lawrence valley. Ontario smoke arrives too, as our live Ontario wildfire and smoke map and live Canada wildfire and smoke map show. Recent seasons tell the story:
2023: Québec's record season burned about 4.3 million hectares, according to SOPFEU's season review. On June 25, 2023, smog warnings covered Montréal, Québec City, Laval, and Trois-Rivières.
2026: About 1.2 million hectares had burned across Québec by early August, according to SOPFEU figures reported by Canada's National Observer.
Filtering Your Indoor Air: A Plan for Every Quebec City Home Type
At Filterbuy, we'll be straight with you: a furnace filter does nothing for a home without a furnace. Baseboard heating is common in Québec, so the four steps above play out differently by home type.
Confirm your system can run a MERV 13 filter without airflow problems. When in doubt, ask your HVAC technician.
Size each air cleaner to its room: Health Canada's portable air cleaner guide recommends a tobacco-smoke CADR of at least two-thirds of the room's square footage. A 12 × 12 ft bedroom (144 sq ft) needs a smoke CADR of at least 96. During smoke events, portable air cleaners have cut PM2.5 in homes and public buildings by an average of 57%, according to the NCCEH. Avoid any air cleaner that produces ozone, which the EPA advises against. As a stopgap, the EPA's DIY box-fan air cleaner uses a MERV 13 filter; use a certified fan made in 2012 or later and never leave it running unattended. See our guide to running an air purifier during wildfire season.
Pleated filters capture particles, not the gases behind a smoky smell. For odours, look at Filterbuy's Odour Eliminator (carbon) filter line.
A filter only works if it gets changed. As Michelle Wan puts it:
What actually hurts systems is the filter nobody remembered to change.
Michelle Wan, Brand Manager and Air Quality Writer, Filterbuy
The EPA notes that most furnaces and HVAC systems can run a MERV 13 filter without equipment problems, provided the filter is replaced often. During smoke, check it frequently and replace it when it looks dirty, dark brown or black, which may be well before the usual interval, according to the EPA. Keep spares on hand. HEPA belongs in the portable unit, never the furnace slot, as our MERV 13 vs. HEPA guide explains; for the fit check, see the best MERV filter for wildfire smoke.
Two Quebec City Details Most Smoke Guides Miss
Filter sizes are in inches, even in Canada. A 20x25x1 filter is a nominal size; the actual frame is slightly smaller (about 19½ × 24½ × ¾ in) so it seals. Order by the size printed on your old frame, and for odd sizes, Filterbuy cuts custom air filters to order.
Hot and smoky at once? Don't tough it out. If you can't stay below 26 °C, as Health Canada suggests, head somewhere cool, like a public library.
When Can You Open Up Again in Quebec City?
Once the AQHI is back to low or moderate and the IQA reads "good" or "acceptable," check the forecast, then air out the house and return your exchanger to normal.
Filterbuy's take: swap your smoke-season filter before the heat comes on. In Quebec City, smoke season runs straight into heating season, so check your filter when the smoke ends and replace it if it looks dirty.
Supporting Statistics
17% more asthma emergency visits. U.S. asthma emergency visits ran 17% above expected on the 19 smoke days from Canada's 2023 fires. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR, August 2023)
About 50% less indoor PM2.5. The EPA says a high-efficiency HVAC filter may cut indoor PM2.5 by about 50% with the fan running continuously. That finding is why Filterbuy pairs MERV 13 with the fan set to "On." (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Strategies to Reduce Exposure Indoors)
About 90% of time spent indoors. Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, where some pollutants run 2 to 5 times higher than outdoors. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Report on the Environment)
Next Steps
Bookmark this page and create a free SOPFEU alert profile.
Get MERV 13 and your air cleaners in place before the next smoke day, with spares on hand.
Set up Filterbuy's Subscribe & Save so replacement filters arrive on schedule.
Quebec City Wildfire and Smoke FAQs
Where Can I See a Live Wildfire Map for Quebec City Today?
The live map at the top of this page shows current fires and smoke across Québec.
Is There a Wildfire Near Quebec City Right Now?
SOPFEU's Capitale-Nationale page lists active fires nearby. Most smoke here comes from far to the north, so haze doesn't mean a fire is close.
What AQHI Level Is Unhealthy in Quebec City?
An AQHI of 7 to 10 is high risk, and 10+ is very high. Anyone with a heart or lung condition should follow their health care provider's advice and official health guidance.
What MERV Rating Do I Need for Wildfire Smoke?
MERV 13. Health Canada and the EPA both recommend MERV 13 or higher in a central system during smoke events, and most systems can run it if the filter is replaced often.
Should I Turn Off My Air Exchanger During a Smoke Event?
In Quebec City homes with an air exchanger (VRC), reduce fresh-air intake or switch to recirculation during heavy smoke, following your manual.
Does Filterbuy Ship to Quebec City?
Yes. Filterbuy.ca ships free across Canada, with prices in CAD and 600+ filter sizes, including custom sizes.
Glossary
AQHI (Air Quality Health Index): Canada's federal 1-to-10+ health-risk scale for outdoor air.
IQA (Indice de la qualité de l'air): Québec's provincial air quality index.
PM2.5: Particles 2.5 micrometres or smaller, the main health concern in smoke. Learn more about what PM2.5 is.
MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value): A 1-to-16 rating of how well an HVAC filter captures particles. See how MERV ratings work.
HEPA: High-efficiency filtration for portable air cleaners, never furnace slots.
Filterbuy: A family-owned U.S. air filter manufacturer (since 2013) selling factory-direct in Canada through Filterbuy.ca.
SOPFEU: Société de protection des forêts contre le feu, Québec's forest fire agency.
CWFIS: Natural Resources Canada's national wildland fire mapping system.
FireWork: Environment Canada's 72-hour smoke forecast.
HRV / ERV (VRC): Heat or energy recovery ventilators, known in Québec as a ventilateur récupérateur de chaleur (VRC) or air exchanger.
Smog warning (avertissement de smog): An Environment Canada alert for expected poor air quality.
About the Author and Reviewer
Michelle Wan is Filterbuy's Brand Manager and Air Quality Writer. David Clark, a Licensed HVAC Technician with Filterbuy HVAC Solutions, reviewed this page for technical accuracy.
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