Stay indoors: Hazardous smoky air from wildfires is back

Herald staff and Associated Press

EVERETT — Poor air quality has returned to the Puget Sound region and will be common across parts of the Pacific Northwest this week as winds push smoke from surrounding wildfires into the region, forecasters and regulators said.

Air quality alerts were in effect for much of Washington through Wednesday at 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

In Snohomish, King, Pierce and Kitsap counties, smoke on Monday reached the designated “unhealthy” level that triggers warnings even for people who are fit, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency said. Everyone is urged to stay indoors as much as possible.

“Smoke is starting to build again today,” the Clean Air Agency said on its website. “Stay indoors with windows closed if you can find somewhere cool. We expect more smoke impacts through Wednesday.”

After several days of smog last week, smoky conditions resumed in the Puget Sound region late Sunday because of a low-level, offshore flow of air that will prevail through Tuesday, the weather service said. The smoke will depress the heat somewhat, but there will likely be above-normal temperatures. A low-level flow of air will switch to onshore on Wednesday, dissipating the smoke.

Most of the smoke is from wildfires in British Columbia and the Cascade Mountains. An air quality alert was in place across Eastern Washington and northern Idaho. “The good news is that observation sites over the interior of British Columbia are showing improved visibility since yesterday,” the National Weather Service said.

But there’s plenty of smoke from Washington fires to worry about, also. ”Wind flow will turn more easterly on Tuesday,” the weather service said. “This will bring in more locally sourced smoke from fires along the east side of the Cascades.”

Air pollution can be a particular concern to sensitive groups such as the elderly, children and those with respiratory conditions. But high levels of pollution can affect everyone.

Smoke has been shrouding much of the West for the past week. It might have been most acute in Spokane, where the air was deemed “hazardous” — the worst rating on the scale used by air-quality scientists. Thick haze hung over Washington’s second-largest city Monday, forcing vehicles to turn on their headlights during the morning commute.

Seattle’s Space Needle was swathed in haze, and it was impossible to see nearby mountains. Portland residents who were up early saw a blood-red sun shrouded in smoke and huffed their way through another day of polluted air. Portland Public Schools suspended all outdoor sports practices.

Thick smoke in Denver blocked the view of some of Colorado’s famous mountains and prompted an air quality health advisory for the northeastern quarter of the state.

Resources

• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency status and info.
• Health hazards of smoke.
• About smoke masks.
• Where the fires are.