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Wild Fire Smoke Lowers Lane County Air Quality

Anni Katz

Record breaking temperatures aren’t the only thing people have to worry about this week. An early morning grass fire on Wednesday near Mt. Pisgah contributed to the smoke from fires around the state and as far away as British Columbia that lowered air quality.

The air quality index for the area has dropped from "moderate" to "unhealthy." Jo Niehaus with the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency says that people may want to limit their time outdoors.

“As our monitors are picking up more of the particulate matter from the smoke people are going to experience a little bit of discomfort if they have outdoor activities planned and the more they expose themselves to the smoke,” says Niehaus.

More sensitive groups include children, seniors, pregnant women and those more susceptible to respiratory issues. Smoke is only one of the factors affecting air quality this week, as higher temperatures also contribute to ozone pollution. Wildfire smoke can be hard to predict but it is likely air quality will remain in the unhealthy range before the haze hopefully disperses this weekend.

People can monitor local air quality at LRAPA's website.