Environment

Air quality advisory for Central and Eastern Oregon through at least Wednesday

Oregon Public Broadcasting | By Jeff Thompson

Published September 9, 2024 at 3:37 PM PDT

Sunset sky over mountains with smoke in the air. — Evening view from Hills Creek fire camp part of the Willamette South Complex of fires outside Oakridge on Sept. 7, 2024.

Air quality west of the Cascades started to improve Monday morning. But several areas east of the Cascades remain under an air quality alert through at least Wednesday.

Antony Vorobyov with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said wildfires continue to degrade the air quality in much of the state.

“Specifically, we issued an air quality advisory for Crook, Deschutes, eastern Douglas, southern Grant, northern Harney, southern Jefferson, northern Klamath, northern Lake and eastern Lane counties,” he said.

The 24-hour average forecast for air quality in those areas over the next few days will be at levels considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Those groups include children and people who are over 65, pregnant or have medical conditions.

In some areas, the air quality may reach levels considered “unhealthy for all.”

Check the latest air quality levels in Oregon.

“Wildfire smoke has fine particles that can be inhaled deep into your lungs,” Vorobyov said. “They can cause coughing, chest pain, asthma attacks. They’re about 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, and can irritate your eyes, nose, your throat and worsen heart and lung diseases if people have them.”

When air quality advisories are in place, people are urged to stay inside if possible, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid strenuous outdoor activity.

People also can use high-efficiency, particulate air filters or HEPA filters,” Vorobyov said. “These can be portable filters, where they can be installed in indoor heating, ventilation, cooling and air purification systems.”

He added that cloth masks generally don’t help protect people from wildfire particles in the air.

“The best forms of protection are N95 masks, because those are tested to ensure, when worn properly with proper fit, they may provide protection,” he said. “Cloth, dust, and surgical masks don’t protect from harmful particles and smoke. And if they use those cloth dust and surgical masks, they just might provide a false sense of security.”