Air quality in Yellowknife and elsewhere in the NWT is expected to take a hit over the next several hours due to wildfire smoke, according to the Government of Canada's  (AQHI).

AQHI gets its data in real-time through an agreement with the provinces and territories. 

Issued at 6 a.m. on Thursday, the index predicts that by 6 p.m., there is a very high risk of poor air quality. That tapers off by Friday with only a moderate risk of poor air quality. 

"Very high" is the limit on their index.

The government then issued another statement later Thursday, noting that wildfire smoke is expected to cause very poor air quality and reduced visibility in Yellowknife.

"Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour," it states.

Other spots in the territory with a very high risk of suffering from poor air quality include Fort Simpson and Fort Smith.

As of Thursday, there are 95 active fires in the NWT, 85 of which are classified as out of control. More than 275,000 hectares have been affected so far this year. 

The fire closest to Yellowknife, 80 km to the northeast, is five hectares in size, though still deemed out of control. It was caused by lightning on July 19, according to the GNWT.

The fire nearest Behchoko is much larger, about 230 hectares in size, but it's deemed under control by the GNWT.

Weather-wise, the seven-day forecast for Yellowknife is a mix of sun and clouds, occasional showers, and daytime highs of 19-25 C.