UPDATE: As of Thursday afternoon, Eugene/ Springfield is in a Red advisory: RED means no air flow, essential burning only.
The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, or LRAPA, is asking Lane County residents to minimize their wood burning during winter stagnation.
LRAPA spokesperson Matt Sorenson told KLCC current conditions are trapping air in the valleys.
“It’s extremely cold at night,” he said. “It is extremely cold in the morning, and there's not a lot of airflow or wind to elevate or move the smoke out. We have then a lot of smoke trapped down at the level at which all of us live, and unfortunately that raises up the amount of pollutants in the air and results in us having less desirable air quality.”
Sorenson said LRAPA encourages residents to avoid using wood-burning stoves and fireplaces if possible. For those who rely on it for heat, make sure the wood is dry and the fire is efficient with nearly transparent smoke.
“Anything that burns is putting pollution out in the air,” said Sorenson.
He said in Eugene-Springfield and Oakridge, air quality overnight and in the mornings has been in the unhealthy for sensitive groups range. It improves during the day with the sunshine which warms up the air enough to offer a little ventilation.
“The concern is that we may not get that relief one of these days and it stays in that unhealthy for sensitive groups, and it piles up and maybe even goes into hazardous. That’s what we would like to avoid,” said Sorenson.
Before you start your next fire, LRAPA offers these tips for cleaner burning:
- Only use dry, seasoned wood. Wet wood creates more smoke and less heat.
- Keep fires small and hot with visible flames and open dampers.
- Check your chimney smoke opacity regularly. If you can’t see easily through it, it’s too thick.
- Have your chimney cleaned annually to prevent chimney fires.
- Never burn garbage or household waste. It creates toxic smoke harmful to everyone.
Residents can check the home wood heating advisory daily or call (541) 746-4328.
