WASHINGTON — Wildfire smoke is blanketing our region with haze, as fires continue to burn across Washington, Oregon and Canada. But for most of us in the region, air quality experts say our air quality is okay right now.
“Right now, we’ve got a lot of smoke high up from nearby fires,” said Phil Swartzendruber, an air quality scientist with Puget Sound Clean Air. “Down below, we have fairly clean air that is coming in off the ocean, coming from the Sound.”
Puget Sound Clean Air tracks quality using sensors across the region. As of Thursday afternoon, much of our area was in the “good” or “moderate” range.
You can track minute-by-minute updates to air quality here.
Maps like these are important to monitor, especially as wildfire season gets longer and more intense.
“Wildfire days are increasing. Those are the days that are hot. They’re dry. They’re windy,” said Shel Winkley, meteorologist and Weather & Climate Engagement Specialist with Climate Central. “When the right weather conditions come around, that’s when we see the fires spark. They can spark easier and they can spread faster due to climate change.”
Those wildfires are hurting progress made to cleaning up our air.
“We’ve had a lot of great progress on so many other areas, with cleaning up vehicles and cleaning up industry and cleaning up stoves,” Swartzendruber said. “We’ve had some great continued trends, but this wildfire smoke is actually reversing the overall average.”
As you monitor air quality activity, consider avoiding outdoor activities in areas where the quality is poor. You might also consider wearing a mask, or bringing in an air purifier to your home if you need extra protection.
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