The smoke lingering in southwestern Saskatchewan could be sticking around for the long haul.

Last Tuesday a special air quality statement was issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada that's been in effect for parts of the last week.

Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the past eight days are a good indication of what's in store for the smoke in the southwest.

"With the wildfire still going in Saskatchewan and Alberta, it's going to ebb and flow," she said. "It will probably be present but it could thicken up as some of the plumes mix down to the surface. It's definitely not gone."

Swift Current is currently graded at a three (low risk) on the air quality health index.