Smokey skies prompt health warning

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Health District has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for all areas of the county. Wildfires in Washington and British Columbia are affecting air conditions in Grant County, according to the advisory, and air quality is expected to be in the moderate to unhealthy range into the weekend.

According to the advisory, poor air quality and inhaling wildfire smoke are unhealthy for all people but can significantly impact high-risk groups. High-risk groups include people with asthma and other lung diseases, infants, older adults, pregnant women, children and youths. Levels of pollutants that may not affect healthy people may cause breathing difficulties for these individuals.

Risk management:

To reduce health impacts, Grant County Health District recommends residents:

• Check air quality conditions daily. Follow health recommendations found on the Air Quality Index: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com

• Keep indoor air as clean as possible. Minimize the use of indoor air pollutants such as candles, incense, and wood-burning stoves.

• Consider using filters with a MERV-13 rating or higher. MERV-13 filters are best for filtering the particulates in wildfire smoke but may not be compatible with all HVAC systems. It is best to consult your systems manual or an HVAC professional before making changes. Use “Recirculate” and “On” rather than “Auto” settings. A HEPA portable indoor air cleaner can also be used in one or more rooms.

• Routinely check on children/youth, the elderl, and friends and family who have breathing problems when outdoor air quality is unhealthy for extended periods of time.

• Follow the advice of your doctor or other healthcare provider about medicines and your respiratory management plan if you have asthma or other illness affecting your lungs.

• If you must drive, keep the windows closed. Use the vehicle air conditioner and set filtration to recirculate. Most vehicles can recirculate the inside air which will help keep the smoky air out. You may have to shift from recirculating air to drawing in fresh air periodically. Smoke can also impact visibility.

Washington fires:

These fires were burning or were recently extinguished Thursday, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center:

• Kindy Creek Incident: An 89-acre fire discovered Aug. 18 in the mountains above Lake Chelan about 75 miles northwest of Wenatchee. The cause was undetermined and costs and containment information were not available.

• The Blue Lake fire about 53 miles west of Omak had grown to 215 acres Thursday and was uncontained. Costs were estimated at $5 million. It was discovered July 29.

• The Dome Peak fire, located northeast of the Mt. Baker National Forest, was uncontained as of Thursday afternoon and had spread to 802 acres. The fire was reported July 29. Costs were estimated at $60,000.

• Lake Louise Incident: A blaze in Fort Steilacoom Park about 7 miles southwest of Tacoma was discovered Aug. 16 and has grown to 24 acres. The cause was undetermined and costs and containment information were unavailable.

• Jenny Incident: Evacuation orders are in effect for the blaze in northern Clark County about 18 miles north of Vancouver. The fire, which was discovered Aug. 16, has burned 34 acres. Containment and costs were unavailable and the cause was undetermined.

• Margarita Incident: A 61-acre fire discovered on Aug. 2. The fire is 100% contained and the estimated cost to fight the blaze is about $2.5 million.

• Mounts Road Incident: A 150-acre fire that is currently reported as extinguished was discovered on Aug. 13. Cost to fight the blaze was not available.

• Mulqueen Incident. This fire just south of Joint Base Lewis McChord comes in at 15 acres and is considered extinguished. Cost is not immediately available. The fire was discovered Aug. 12.

• Trinity Incident: This fire west of Kennewick and north of the Yakima River had burned 602 acres as of Thursday afternoon. The cost to fight the fire is estimated at $150,000 and is considered 90% contained.

• Wawawai Incident. About 530 acres have burned in this fire which has cost just less than $360,000 to fight thus far and is 99% contained. The fire was discovered July 24 just southwest of Pullman near the Snake River.

• Chocolate Creek Incident: This 15-acre blaze about 58 miles northwest of Wenatchee was uncontained Thursday. Costs were estimated at $90,000.

• West Hallett Incident: According to authorities, the fire just west of Spokane reportedly cost about $1.7 million and is 99% contained. The fire has burned about 126 acres and the cause is not determined. It was discovered July 31.

• West Anderson Incident: The fire, discovered Aug. 2, was 80% contained Thursday at 35 acres. Costs were estimated at $380,000 and the cause was undetermined.

• The Sourdough fire, which has been burning in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in the north Cascades since July 29, was 11% contained Thursday and had reached 2,953 acres. The fire has so far incurred costs of about $16 million.

• Consalus Incident: Around 475 acres have burned so far near the Idaho border due east of the Little Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. The fire has cost about $10 million and is only 83% contained. Authorities report that the cause of the fire is natural.

• The Eagle Bluff fire, southwest of Oroville near the Canadian border, has burned more than 16,000 acres. The fire has cost about $9.9 million and is roughly 90% contained. The cause for the fire is unknown.

• The Airplane Lake blaze has burned about 900 acres and costs are estimated at $50,000. It is reported as uncontained and no cause has been identified. It was discovered July 7.

Several other fires are reported throughout the state but have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are reported as out and many are less than 1 acre.

Joel Martin may be reached by email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.