Smoke forecast through Monday 24 August

We are deeply saddened by the loss of local firefighters, homes, property and wild spaces in our region. Stay safe and look out for each other.

Air quality has improved across much of eastern Washington in the last 12 hours as the dry cold front pushed through, increasing the intensity of northwest winds. Most areas are reporting Good air quality now. But alas, reports of rapid fire growth are steadily streaming in. The Red Flag Warning remains in place until at least 11:00 pm PDT with high wind gusts in many areas (up to 50 mph in the Okanogan Valley). There is also a strong possibility of windblown dust in the Columbia Basin today.

Things calm down on Saturday morning and surface winds turn east to northeast in much of the state (north winds in the Okanogan and Columbia River Valleys) through about Sunday afternoon. The smoke we exported to Idaho and Montana will return to us along with smoke from Idahoan fires. Smoke is very likely to make its way into Western Washington as well. However plumes that are able to get high enough will likely get caught in westerly flow aloft and keep heading eastbound.

Keep a close eye on the monitors and local forecasts as expected levels of pollution will depend on today’s fire growth. Expect pollution to begin to build regionally over the weekend. Valley winds will be mostly terrain driven, so expect poor air quality at night. Overnight temperature inversions are likely to be strong, so smoke wont clear out all that quickly after sunrise. 

Areas close to fires and the far eastern parts of the state are likely to see air quality varying from Moderate to Hazardous.

Columbia Basin and Cascade Foothills communities, including communities close to the Columbia River Gorge will likely see air quality varying from Good to Unhealthy. 

Western Washington including the Puget Sound region is likely to see periods of Moderate or USG air.

National Weather Service has also issued Air Quality Alerts for much of eastern Washington due to wildfire smoke, through noon on Monday. 

Air Quality Forecast - Chelan & Methow Valley Fires August 21, 2015

 

Air Quality Summary Report    -  Chelan and Methow Valley Fire           Friday, August 21, 2015

Prepared by: Carolyn Kelly, Air Resource Advisor trainee (ckelly8384@gmail.com) 

Andrea Holland, Air Resource Advisor (andreahollandsears@gmail.com)

 

Enjoy the clear air while you have it.   A shift in weather patterns later today will likely result in greater fire activity and bring more smoke into nearby valleys and beyond.              

Friday: A continued increase in fire activity from multiple fires including the Reach, Wolverine, Black Canyon, First Creek, McFarland, & Blankenship fires could create widespread smoky/hazy conditions for most of central Washington again today. Chelan should see smoke throughout the day with heavier amounts in the evening. Wenatchee and Leavenworth can expect to see some clear skies with little or no smoke until the evening. Manson will see light smoke in the morning, heavier smoke after noon, and potentially hazardous levels later in the evening. Methow Valley will see smoke throughout the day with heavier smoke beginning early afternoon and increasing into the night. Saturday: Active fire behavior in the area should have Chelan and Manson seeing smoke throughout the day. Wenatchee and Leavenworth should see light smoke clearing out through the day. Methow Valley will see varying levels of smoke throughout the day as well. Sunday: Chelan, Manson, and Methow Valley should expect to see smoke throughout the day and Wenatchee and Leavenworth should see smoke through the day clearing out later on.
Site	August 21 Today Air Quality			August 22 Saturday Air Quality	August 23 Sunday Air Quality	Comments
Chelan	Good			Hazardous	Unhealthy	As winds shift later in the day on Friday, smoke from the Okanogan Complex will be driven down through the Columbia River Valley.
	Hazardous			Unhealthy
Manson	Moderate			Unhealthy	Unhealthy
	Hazardous
Methow Valley	Moderate			Moderate	Unhealthy
	Unhealthy			Unhealthy
Leavenworth	Good			Moderate	USG
	Moderate			Good
Wenatchee	Good			Moderate	USG
	Moderate			Good
Disclaimer: Conditions may change quickly, these predictions are based on anticipated weather and fire activity.  The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review. AQI’s estimated for sites with air monitors.
Index Levels of Health Concern			Actions Recommended by WA Department of Ecology to Reduce Smoke Exposure
Good			None
Moderate			People with asthma, respiratory infection, diabetes, lung or heart disease, or have had a stroke should limit outdoor activities or do activities that take less effort, such as walking instead of running.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups			Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, asthma, diabetes, infants, children, adults older than 65, pregnant women, or who have had a stroke.  These people should limit time spent outdoors.
Unhealthy			Everyone should limit time spent outdoors. Everyone should avoid exercising outdoors (including sports teams) and choose non-strenuous indoor activities. People with asthma, respiratory infection, diabetes, lung or heart disease, or have had a stroke should stay indoors. Infants, children, pregnant women and adults over age 65 should also stay indoors.
Very Unhealthy			Everyone should stay indoors, do only light activities, and keep windows closed if it is not too hot. Run air conditioners on re-circulate and close the outside air intake. Use indoor air cleaners with HEPA filters, if available. If you must be outdoors, wear an N-95 respirator mask. People with chronic diseases should check with their health care provider before wearing a mask. Check with your local health department for health information. People with asthma, lung and heart disease, or have had a stroke should check with their health care provider for advice about leaving the area. Anyone with shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, heart palpitations, extreme fatigue, or difficulty moving or speaking should call their health care provider or call 911.
Hazardous			Everyone should stay indoors, do only light activities, and keep windows closed if it is not too hot. Run air conditioners on re-circulate and close the outside air intake. Use indoor air cleaners with HEPA filters, if available. If you must be outdoors, wear an N-95 respirator mask. People with chronic diseases should check with their health care provider before wearing a mask. Check with your local health department for health information. People with asthma, lung and heart disease, or have had a stroke should check with their health care provider for advice about leaving the area. Anyone with shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, heart palpitations, extreme fatigue, or difficulty moving or speaking should call their health care provider or call 911.

Webcam looking up Lake Chelan  http://www.fsvisimages.com/fstemplate.aspx?site=okwe3_fire1

For more information about smoke in Washington State, visit http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

Satellite Imagery of smoke from fires in NE Washington

 

These images were captured in early afternoon on August 20, 2015.  Notice how the smoke loops up into Canada before dispersing over the east side of the continental divide in Montana.

U.S. FOREST SERVICE FIRE UPDATE

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

215 Melody Lane

Wenatchee, WA 98801

 

Date:  August 20, 2015

Contacts: Public Affairs Specialist Robin DeMario, 509-664-9292

Fire Information Contacts

         Wenatchee—With so many fires burning in North Central and Eastern Washington, trying to find updated information about fires may be overwhelming for some people. 

The first source to go to for fire information is InciWeb, a web site that has information about most large fires burning across the United States; go to http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ to access this site.

Information on large fires burning in North Central Washington can be found at:

·         Chelan Complex (includes the Wolverine, Blankenship, Reach, First Creek, and Black Canyon fires)

• fire information line 855-581-3862
• InciWeb site http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4354/
• fire information blog https://wolverinefireinfo.wordpress.com
• Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reach-Complex-Wolverine-Black-Canyon-Fires/398696820334111?fref=ts      

·         Okanogan Complex (includes Twisp River, Nine Mile, Lime Belt, Tunk Block, Blue Lake, and Beaver fires)

• fire information line 509-723-0915 or 509-723-0813
• InciWeb site http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4534/      

·         North Star Fire Fire

• fire information line 509-634-2194
• InciWeb site http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4524

Air Quality Forecast - Chelan and Methow Valley Fires August 20, 2015

Air Quality Forecast - Chelan Lake & Methow Valley Fires       Thursday, August 20, 2015

Prepared by:   Andrea Holland (andreahollandsears@gmail.com) & Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com)

Thursday:  Increased fire activity from multiple fires in Central Washington could create widespread smoke or hazy conditions throughout the area.  Chelan and Manson will see some relief from smoke throughout the morning.  However, as fire activity increases with warming temperatures and gusty winds, smoke may settle into these areas becoming heaviest between mid-afternoon and into the evening.  The Methow Valley will likely see smoke throughout the day.   Smoke will remain in Leavenworth and Wenatchee throughout the morning; clearing by mid to late afternoon. Friday:  Similar conditions seen Thursday in Chelan and Manson will occur on Friday.  Air quality in these communities may worsen by early evening.  Overall air quality in the Methow Valley, Leavenworth and Wenatchee should be good through the morning changing to smokier conditions through the afternoon as fire activity picks up. Saturday: Air quality in Chelan and Manson will remain in the unhealthy range.  Diminished winds will also allow smoke to linger in the Methow Valley, Leavenworth and Wenatchee clearing somewhat by mid-afternoon.
Site	August 20 Air quality -Today		August 21 Air Quality - Fri	August 22 Air Quality - Sat	Comments
Chelan	Moderate		Unhealthy	Unhealthy	Greater fire potential through Friday will result in more smoke with nearby communities most affected. Drift smoke will result in hazy conditions in the Columbia Basin.
	Unhealthy		V. Unhealthy
Manson	Moderate		Unhealthy	Unhealthy
	Unhealthy		V.Unhealthy
Methow Valley	Unhealthy		Unhealthy	USG
Leavenworth	Good		Good	USG
			USG
Wenatchee	Good		Good	USG
			USG
Disclaimer: Conditions may change quickly. These predictions are based on anticipated weather and fire activity.  The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review. AQI’s estimated for sites with air monitors.
Index Levels of Health Concern		Actions Recommended by WA Department of Ecology to Reduce Smoke Exposure
Good		None
Moderate		People with asthma, respiratory infection, diabetes, lung or heart disease, or have had a stroke should limit outdoor activities or do activities that take less effort, such as walking instead of running.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups		Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, asthma, diabetes, infants, children, adults older than 65, pregnant women, or who have had a stroke.  These people should limit time spent outdoors.
Unhealthy		Everyone should limit time spent outdoors. Everyone should avoid exercising outdoors (including sports teams) and choose non-strenuous indoor activities. People with asthma, respiratory infection, diabetes, lung or heart disease, or have had a stroke should stay indoors. Infants, children, pregnant women and adults over age 65 should also stay indoors.
Very Unhealthy		Everyone should stay indoors, do only light activities, and keep windows closed if it is not too hot. Run air conditioners on re-circulate and close the outside air intake. Use indoor air cleaners with HEPA filters, if available. If you must be outdoors, wear an N-95 respirator mask. People with chronic diseases should check with their health care provider before wearing a mask. Check with your local health department for health information. People with asthma, lung and heart disease, or have had a stroke should check with their health care provider for advice about leaving the area. Anyone with shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, heart palpitations, extreme fatigue, or difficulty moving or speaking should call their health care provider or call 911.
Hazardous		Everyone should stay indoors, do only light activities, and keep windows closed if it is not too hot. Run air conditioners on re-circulate and close the outside air intake. Use indoor air cleaners with HEPA filters, if available. If you must be outdoors, wear an N-95 respirator mask. People with chronic diseases should check with their health care provider before wearing a mask. Check with your local health department for health information. People with asthma, lung and heart disease, or have had a stroke should check with their health care provider for advice about leaving the area. Anyone with shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, heart palpitations, extreme fatigue, or difficulty moving or speaking should call their health care provider or call 911.

Webcam looking up Lake Chelan  http://www.fsvisimages.com/fstemplate.aspx?site=okwe3_fire1                    

For more information about smoke in Washington State, visit http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/