Poor air conditions across the region have led agencies to announce smoke bans and advisories.
The National Weather Service has issued an air stagnation advisory that’ll last until Wednesday. Particulate matter from wood smoke combined with stagnant air movement have caused fog and dense smoke to gather in the area, making conditions difficult for children, the elderly, and people with breathing issues including asthma.
Jo Niehaus of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency says they’ve issued a “RED” home wood heating advisory for Eugene-Springfield and Oakridge effective Monday afternoon.
“It means people cannot burn with visible smoke coming from their chimneys," Niehaus tells KLCC.
"Now that’s not to say people can’t burn at all, because some people do really rely on their wood heat to keep safe and warm over the winter. For those folks we have exemption forms.
"We also can get people to burn very, very, clean by using the proper fuel and keeping their dampers open.”
LRAPA, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and Southwest Clean Air Agency have jointly issued an advisory for much of Oregon and southwest Washington.
Copyright 2019, KLCC.
