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9/20/12 Smoke spreads across Eastern Washington with little relief in sight

      Smoke spreads across Eastern Washington with little relief in sight

            YAKIMA - Smoke is filling up the low-lying areas of Eastern Washington with weather patterns keeping a lid on most of the region with no relief in sight, according to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).

            "Unfortunately, areas around Wenatchee remain in the worst shape," said Sean Hopkins, Ecology air quality specialist in Yakima. "At the same time, other areas are experiencing unhealthy air anywhere smoke lingers from the hundreds of wildfires that are burning."

            Specifically, Ecology and Forest Service air-quality monitors in Chelan County are reading in the hazardous and unhealthy ranges. Poorer conditions are trending in the Quincy area and conditions could worsen around Spokane, Pullman and Clarkston.

            Monitor measurements in Ellensburg are in the unhealthy range, but is trending better than earlier hazardous readings. Cle Elum readings by the Forest Service are moderate, showing some improvement.

      All residents in the Wenatchee area should stay indoors and curtail their physical activities both indoors and out. Doors and windows should remain closed. In the remainder of the Yakima and Columbia basins common sense precautions should be taken by everyone, but sensitive groups -- such as children, the elderly and heart patients -- are particularly vulnerable.

     

      The biggest health threat comes from the fine particles in smoke. These can cause burning eyes, runny nose, bronchitis and other illnesses. Smoky air also can aggravate pre-existing heart and lung diseases, and even lead to death.

     

      Follow air quality online at the Washington Department of Ecology wildfire/smoke Web page:  Go to Ecology's home page at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ and click on "Wildfire smoke updates" on the right side under "Spotlight."

      

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Media Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, Communications Manager, 509-575-2610; joye.redfield-wilder@ecy.wa.gov

Ecology's website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov

Ecology's social media: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

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9/19/12 Air quality in Wenatchee remains hazardous

Washington Department of Ecology news

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Sept. 19, 2012

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                Air quality in Wenatchee remains hazardous

      SPOKANE   Smoke from wildfires continues to create hazardous air conditions in the Wenatchee area today for the eighth day in a row. Residents along the east side of the Cascades from Yakima northward through the Methow Valley to Omak continue bracing against the onslaught of smoke. 

      Ellensburg experienced some clearing Tuesday, but it was short-lived and the area filled in with smoke overnight. Ellensburg was the only part of the east Cascades region to get a slight reprieve Tuesday.

      All residents in the Wenatchee area should stay indoors and limit their physical activities. Doors and windows should remain closed.

      Aside from the very northern counties in Eastern Washington north of Highway 2, the smoke will continue today with little daytime clearing. Conditions are not expected to improve significantly in the next several days.

      In far Eastern Washington, most areas have “good” to “moderate” air quality today, but Moses Lake has seen some excursions into the “unhealthy for sensitive populations” zone, according to Air Quality Advisory categories (https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/0802022.pdf). Sensitive populations are young children, older adults and people with breathing problems such as asthma. 

      The National Weather Service continues an air stagnation advisory for the eastern foothills of the Cascades and for the Clarkston area of Whitman County (http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=otx&wwa=air%20stagnation%20advisory).

      The Wenatchee Complex Fire pushed air quality into the hazardous zone for the first time since the state began monitoring small particle pollution including smoke. The smoke hazard recorded at Wenatchee has been about three times higher than any other readings recorded by Washington state monitors since the 1980s.

      In 2006, a wildfire known as the Tripod Complex Fire burned for about two months in the Methow Valley, causing what was then the highest concentrations of small particle pollution ever measured in Washington.

      Follow air quality online at the Washington Department of Ecology wildfire/smoke Web page:  Go to Ecology’s home page at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/  and click on “Wildfire smoke updates” on the right side under “Spotlight.”  The direct link is:  http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/air_monitoring_data/WAQA_Intro_Page.html.

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Media Contacts:

Jani Gilbert, Communications, 509-329-3495; cell, 509-990-9177; jani.gilbert@ecy.wa.gov.

Ecology’s website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov

Ecology’s social media: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

Department of Ecology News Release - September 18, 2012
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Air quality in Ellensburg, Wenatchee remains unhealthy

YAKIMA – Air quality in Ellensburg has reached hazardous levels as a result of smoke from north and central Washington fires.
Wenatchee air quality has been hazardous since Sept. 12, according to data gathered by the Washington Department of Ecology.
All residents in both Wenatchee and Ellensburg should stay indoors and limit their physical activities. Doors and windows should remain closed.
Weak winds and stagnant conditions will continue in the eastern foothills of the Cascades, causing impaired air quality over the next several days. Exceptions are northern Okanogan County and Klickitat County.
Elsewhere in Eastern Washington, air quality remained mostly in the "good" category, though a few areas recorded "moderate" air quality.
The National Weather Service has an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for the eastern foothills of the Cascades and the Lewis-Clark Valley.
Follow air quality online at the Washington Air Quality Advisory (WAQA): website.
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Media Contacts:
Joye Redfield-Wilder, Communications Manager, 509-575-2610; cell, 509-961-6277; joye.redfield-wilder@ecy.wa.gov
Jani Gilbert, Communications, 509-329-3495; cell, 509-990-9177; jani.gilbert@ecy.wa.gov.
For more information:
Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for the eastern foothills of the Cascades and the Lewis-Clark Valley (http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=otx&wwa=air%20stagnation%20advisory)
Washington Air Quality Advisory (WAQA): website (https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/Default.ltr.aspx)
ECOconnect blog - Wildfire smoke updates (http://ecologywa.blogspot.com/search/label/Air%20Time)
Ecology’s social media (www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html)