Environment Canada has issued special air quality statements for southwestern Ontario as prairie wildfire smoke sits over swaths of the province.

On Monday morning, Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for the vast majority of southern Ontario, predicting "poor air quality" as a result of forest fires.

“Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said in its statement.