Smoke from Russian fires hitting British Columbia VICTORIA, British Columbia, July 11 (UPI) -- Record air contamination and haze in British Columbia is drifting eastward from huge fires raging in Siberia, Canadian environmental officials said. Air quality readings began declining Monday and ozone levels have hit record highs in the south and interior of the province, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said. Eric Taylor, provincial air-quality meteorologist, told the Victoria Times-Colonist in addition to smoke from massive Siberian fires, blazes were also burning in Central Russia, China and Vietnam. "It has taken six or seven days to get across the Pacific," Taylor said. It is getting caught up in high-level winds moving across the Pacific at about 8,000 meters [26,000 feet]. In Vancouver, a pall could be seen across the city Wednesday, which has also created some spectacular sunsets in the past two days, the reports said. A cold front is forecast to reach British Columbia this week, which should help clear the air, the reports said. In recent months, British Columbia has also reported a growing amount of eastward-floating debris washing ashore from the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami that devastated northern Japan.