Wildfire smoke is blanketing western Washington, creating hazy skies and unhealthy air quality for many communities. Health experts say the smoky conditions can pose health risks for everyone, especially children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions.
A look at the Air Quality Index Thursday showed air quality reaching levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups in parts of western Washington as smoke from wildfires burning in eastern Washington drifted west.
“Sometimes you can’t tell what the air quality is by looking outside,” said Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, executive medical director with Regence BlueShield. “It may look hazy; is that fog? What’s going on?”
Dr. Saint Clair said while some people are at greater risk, poor air quality can affect anyone.
“Poor air quality can impact all of us, even people who don’t have underlying health conditions or are more at risk,” she said.
She recommends limiting time outdoors when air quality deteriorates, particularly if you’re exercising.
“This is really tough if you’re a runner, or you love to cycle and get outside,” Saint Clair said. “It’s a time to really move inside for some of those activities. You don’t want to be huffing and puffing and breathing in that bad air.”
According to KIRO 7 PinPoint Meteorologist Nick Allard, the smoky conditions are being driven by an offshore wind pattern carrying wildfire smoke from eastern Washington into western parts of the state.
“We get the fact that it’s really hot. We get all the dry air and then we get all that smoke and haze coming in,” Allard said. “So we have a couple things going on, and all we have to do is switch the wind direction the other way and it’s not going to be a problem.”
For those unsure whether it’s safe to be outside, Dr. Saint Clair recommends checking the Air Quality Index, which is available through most weather apps on smartphones.
“You can look at something called the Air Quality Index, AQI, often on your phone,” she said. “It’ll tell you where it is in the same place it tells you what the temperature is.”
Relief may be on the way.
Allard said a shift to an onshore weather pattern is expected to bring cleaner air, cooler temperatures and higher humidity.
“Now onshore wind, so coming from the ocean to the land, which means fresh air, higher humidity, cooler conditions,” Allard said. “It just means anybody dealing with respiratory issues will not have to suffer anymore because the air is getting better.”
Until then, health experts recommend keeping indoor air as clean as possible by closing windows and doors, running air conditioning if available, and using air filters or air purifiers to reduce smoke inside the home.