Wildfires cause smoky skies across B.C.

A massive fire burning in north-central Washington the largest in the state's history is driving heavy smoke into nearby B.C. communities.

• Largest wildfire in Washington state's history sending smoke into B.C.

• Smoky skies advisories remain in place for southern B.C.

Air quality advisories remained in place for much of southern B.C. Monday as forest fires continued to burn across the region.

OkanaganRunning Info uploaded this video to Facebook showing the change in air quality between Thursday and Sunday this week at Kelowna's downtown waterfront.

Reduced visibility

B.C. fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek says the heavy blanket ofsmoke acts like cloud cover by reflecting some of the sun's heat away from the ground and trapping some humidity closer toground level.

The smoky skies made driving in the Okanagan region a challenge for some as visibility was reduced.

Vibrant sunsets

The wildfires have also resulted in fiery sunsets.

In Grand Forks, where the 227-square-kilometre Kettle Complex wildfires are burning only a few kilometres away, the air quality is more than five times worse than on an average day in Beijing, a city notorious for its smog problems.

South of the border

In Washington and Montana, the smoky skies also created vibrant sunsets and eerie photos.

Glacier National Park, in Montana, was also blanketed in smoke.