North Columbia Basin Smoke Outlook for 8/17/18

Pronóstico de Humo para el Cuenca de Columbia Norte 16/8

Breathe a Little Fresh Air... Please!

A lot of Western Washington saw the smoke clear out last night and through this morning.  The air quality is in the Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range in most western locations and it should clear up even more through today.

PM2.5 Across Washington (8 - 9 am; Thursday)

This westerly flow that we are experiencing should also bring some momentary relief Friday evening for residents in counties like Kittitas, Grant, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla.  Neighboring counties may also see a bit of clearing.  Air quality in central and eastern Washington will vary, but with the nearby fires, residents in Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties should expect continued smoky conditions through the weekend.

Unfortunately, these winds also mean there is a potential for fire growth...

And, now for the really bad news, the forecast for Sunday night is for winds from the north which could add more smoke from Canada into the region.

Smoke Outlook for North Columbia Basin 8/16/18

A little clearing in Western Washington

Many people in Western Washington are wondering... when will this smoke clear out?  Thankfully we have seen a little clearing start to occur this afternoon. Some monitors in Western Washington are down to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and a couple are even down to Moderate.  Most monitors in Western Washington are still in the Unhealthy range due to lingering smoke, but more clearing is expected through tonight and tomorrow.  It may be short lived, but we expect at least a couple days of cleaner air coming up.

Be thankful you aren't in Alberta!  Take a look at the giant smoke storm that traveled east over Canada today.

MODIS Image for 11 am on Wednesday
Fire Locations Shown in Red

Prognóstico de Humo Cuenca para el Cuenca de Columbia Norte 15/8

Don't Tough it Out!

Daycares, camps and school sports practices should be held indoors when the air quality is poor. 

When the smoke levels are unhealthy, it is recommended that outdoor activities be restricted for everyone, especially those in sensitive groups who could have a wide range of health effects. Sensitive groups include those with health conditions, infants, children, pregnant women and people over 65.

Keep smoke out of buildings. If there is no air conditioning, keep it cooler indoors with shades and fans. Remember to stay hydrated.

• More information about outdoor activities for children: Air Pollution and School Activities Guide (PDF)
• Recommendations for keeping indoor air clean in schools and buildings with mechanical ventilation: Improving Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality during Wildfire Smoke Events (PDF)

8/15/2018 British Columbia once again dealing with a very bad wildfire year - and we're getting some of the smoke

The B.C. Canada government declared a state of emergency today (Wednesday 8/15/18) due to wildfires. Approximately 566 wildfires are burning in B.C, with 29 evacuation orders affecting approximately 3,050 people. An additional 18,720 people are under evacuation alert. This is the second year in a row our neighbors to the north have been inundated with fire and smoke and some of that smoke has been heading south to Washington and beyond.

The best air quality models that predict smoke movement and accumulation in the Pacific Northwest, don't include fires and smoke from that far north. Other models do include the fires in Canada although their resolution is not as good so predicting air quality impacts in Washington as affected by smoke from Canada is rather challenging. The satellite photo below, taken yesterday (Tuesday) shows the red "hot spots" marking the large areas of fire in B.C. Fires in Washington can also be seen to the south. Note the magnitude of the smoke accumulation just north of the international border. We've already received some smoke from the north, how much more will travel to Washington in the coming days?

Another satellite photo from yesterday got a really clear view of fires and smoke around Washington. Plumes from the Crescent Mountain and McLeod fires are clearly visible north of Lake Chelan in the Methow Valley area, and the Cougar Creek plume is visible to the south of Lake Chelan closer to the center of the state. Large image available at the link: ModisAqua8_14

North Columbia Basin Smoke Outlook for 8/15/18

Wildfire smoke can make its way into your home.

To help keep your indoor air as clean as possible, follow these steps.

• Keep windows and doors closed. Track the outside air quality and open your windows for fresh air when the air quality improves. Pay attention to the heat indoors. Close curtains to reduce heat gain during the hottest part of the day. Use fans to circulate the air.
• Run an air conditioner, set it to re-circulate and close the fresh-air intake. Make sure to change the filter regularly.
• Use an air cleaner with a  high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to reduce indoor air pollution, this will reduce the number of irritating fine particles in indoor air. A HEPA filter with charcoal will help remove some of the gases from the smoke. Don’t use an air cleaner that produces ozone. See California’s air cleaning devices for the home fact sheet (PDF).
• Don’t add to indoor pollution. Don’t smoke. Don’t use food broilers, candles, incense, fireplaces, or gas stoves. Don’t vacuum unless your vacuum has a HEPA filter, because vacuuming stirs up particles already inside your home.
• Consider leaving the area if the air quality is poor and it's not possible to keep indoor air clean, especially if you or those you are caring for are having health problems or are in a sensitive group.
• For more information about keeping indoor air free of smoke: Improving Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality during Wildfire Smoke Events (PDF).

El humo de incendios forestales pudiera entrar en su hogar.  Para que el aire de su hogar se  mantenga lo más limpio posible siga estos pasos.

• Mantenga las puertas y ventanas cerradas. Manténgase al día sobre la calidad del aire y abra puertas y ventanas cuando mejore el aire. Ponga atención al calor dentro de su hogar. Cierre cortinas para reducir el calor durante las horas más calurosas del día. Use ventiladores para que circule el aire.  

• Prenda el aire acondicionado, colóquelo en modo recirculación y cierre el ingreso de aire fresco. Asegúrese de cambiar el filtro regularmente. 

• Utilice purificadores de aire de alta eficiencia (HEPA, high-efficiency particulate air) para reducir la contaminación del aire dentro de su hogar. Un filtro HEPA de carbón ayudará a remover algunos de los gases del humo. No use un limpiador de aire que produzca ozono. Vea los instrumentos de California para purificar el aire (PDF) (solo en inglés). 

• No contribuya a contaminar el aire en el  interior de su hogar . No fume. No utilice braceros para cocinar, velas, chimeneas o estufas de gas. No utilice una aspiradora a menos que tu aspiradora tenga un filtro HEPA, ya que de esta forma moverá las partículas que ya se encuentran en el interior de su hogar. 

• Considere salir del área si la calidad del aire sigue mala y no es posible mantener el aire del interior de su hogar limpio, especialmente si está cuidando a personas con problemas de salud o que tengan más sensibilidad al humo.  

• Para más información acerca de cómo mantener el aire dentro de su hogar libre de humo: Mejorando la Ventilación y la Calidad del Aire Interior Durante Eventos de  Incendios Forestales. Mejorando la ventilación y la calidad del air interior durante eventos de incendios forestales (PDF) (solo en inglés).