Friday Smoke Update: Poor Air Quality and Hazy Skies

Smoke continues to blanket the state, as seen on satellite imagery. Up until this week, it had been a relatively smoke-free summer in Washington--until mid-August, not a single monitoring site in Washington had recorded a day in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range or worse (out of 128 total monitoring sites). It is important to note that monitoring sites do not cover every location in the state, and some areas (i.e., Lake Cushman) have experienced worse smoke than what is captured by the statewide air monitoring network. This past week, multiple monitoring sites across the state reported several days of USG or worse air quality conditions. Even Western WA has seen impacts, as the Mount Rainier monitoring site observed smoke impacts from the Wildcat Fire. Thus far, monitoring sites in Southeast WA haven't observed any days greater than moderate AQI:

Total number of days USG or worse observed by monitoring sites over the past few days. Note that this does not include temporary monitors or low-cost sensors.

Current Fire and Smoke Conditions

Active fires grew substantially yesterday, including the Lower Sugarloaf Fire north of Leavenworth, Wildcat Fire west of Naches, Perry Fire northeast of Newhalem, and multiple fires in northeast WA (including the Crown Creek and Rattlesnake Fires).

East of the Cascades, Southeast Washington remains the "cleanest" part of the region, with conditions generally at the upper level of the moderate AQI range, although smoke may drift in from Idaho this afternoon. Winds east of the Cascades will stay light today and tomorrow; unfortunately, current smoke conditions are expected to persist. The Air Quality Alert for all counties in Central and Eastern WA remains in place through at least the weekend. 

In Western WA, hazy skies will continue today and tomorrow. Smoke from the Wildcat Fire may impact the foothills, including Packwood and Enumclaw. Periods of USG are also possible in eastern King, eastern Pierce, and western Kitsap counties today and tomorrow. There will be heavy smoke at high elevations in the Cascades. Impaired air quality will also continue near Lake Cushman due to the Bear Gulch Fire. Elsewhere in Western WA, air quality at the surface will mostly range from good to moderate, with the best air quality along the coast. 

During this smoke event, much of the smoke in Western Washington remains aloft in the atmosphere. You can see it, but you can't breathe it. A ceilometer--a laser based instrument that measures the vertical profile of the atmosphere helps to visualize upper level smoke. Data from the Seattle-Beacon Hill ceilometer over the past 24 hours shows the smoke layer overhead:

Ceilometer data from Seattle-Beacon Hill for the past 24 hours. Source: Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

When will this end?

East of the Cascades, air quality in Central and Eastern Washington will remain poor through this weekend. While shifting winds may move the smoke around and concentrations may fluctuate slightly, much of the region will stay socked in until a stronger push of cleaner air arrives. A further concern: increasing winds on Sunday could increase fire activity. Potential thunderstorms this weekend could also lead to new fire starts. 

Upcoming cooler and wetter weather should moderate fire activity, but the best chance for significant clearing isn't expected until early to middle of next week. Communities closest to active fires will continue experiencing smoke impacts as long as those fires remain active.

Western WA will likely see an end to hazy skies by the end of the weekend.

We'll update as needed, and continue to keep an eye on the map at the top of this page for current and forecasted air quality conditions. 

Smoke and your health

When there is wildfire smoke, take the following steps to protect yourself and your family:

• Stay inside with cleaner indoor air:
• Close windows and doors unless it's too hot to maintain safe temperatures.
• Avoid activities that add to indoor air pollution, such as smoking or burning candles.
• Filter indoor air with a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter, a box fan filter, or your HVAC system set to recirculate.
• If you are not able to maintain cleaner and cooler air at home, go elsewhere for cleaner air.
• Pay attention to symptoms and seek medical help if needed.
• If you must go outside, wear a well-fitting N95 mask, limit physical exertion, and stay hidrated.
• Local health departments and fire districts are great resources for finding wildfire and cleaner air shelter.
• Check in on your neighbors and people in your community during a smoke event.

For more information on how to protect ourself, visit DOH's Smoke from Fires page.