An air quality advisory has been issued for 17 Oregon counties, given wildfire smoke wafting in from across the region.
The advisory lasts through at least Monday afternoon for several south-central counties (Jackson, Klamath, and Lake), and eastern areas of counties (Lane, Douglas, Marion, and Linn.)
Other counties in the far eastern side of Oregon (Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Malheur, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa) have advisories through Saturday morning.
While summer is nearing its end, the pending fall season doesn’t necessarily mean the end of wildfire season, said Travis Knudsen, of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency.
“We’re not facing those triple-digit heatwaves as we were not too long ago, but we’re still hot and dry, and there still is the potential for new fires to begin and become larger deals.
"Even at this time last year, we were dealing with the worst air quality Lane County has ever seen from the Holiday Farm Fire and other fires.”
During the advisories, people with sensitive health conditions are advised to stay inside, and to use air purifiers or filters if possible.
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