Smoke forecast to stick around through Friday

MOSES LAKE — Wildfires and light winds have combined to produce poor quality throughout Eastern Washington, a situation that is forecast to persist for a few days.

“We’re kind of under this stable (air) layer,” said Charlotte Dewey, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane. “We don’t have a lot of (air) mixing near the surface.” 

The result is a lot of smoke hanging in the atmosphere, mostly from fires on the east slopes of the Washington Cascades and the western slopes of the Rockies in Northern and Central Idaho. 

“There are definitely a lot of wildfires across Washington and Idaho,” Dewey said. “It’s likely the smoke and haze are going to stick around for a while.” 

While the air may be stagnant, air quality isn’t — it differs from hour to hour and location to location. It’s measured by an Air Quality Index published by the U.S. government. The higher the index, the worse the air. 

The air quality in Moses Lake was 95 by mid-afternoon Wednesday. That’s rated as moderate and is considered acceptable – barely – but it does provide a risk for people who are at high risk for complications from air pollution, according to the Air Now website.  

However, in Othello, the air quality was 120, which is rated unhealthy for some people. Warden’s air quality was listed at 96, which is right at the dividing line between moderate and unhealthy.  

With the smoke forecast to persist for a few days, the Grant County Health District issued an air quality advisory Tuesday afternoon. 

“Wildfire smoke can be dangerous to everyone, but some groups are at higher risk,” the GCHD press release said.  

People with asthma or other lung diseases are at increased risk, along with infants and children, pregnant women and seniors 65 years of age and older. The GCHD recommended that people check air quality conditions regularly and stay indoors when there’s a lot of smoke outside. 

The smoky air really isn’t that good for anyone – the Washington Department of Health said smoke can cause headaches and irritation in the eyes and throat.  

The GCHD recommended keeping indoor air as clean as possible. That means, according to the DOH website, keeping windows and doors closed, which might be easier said than done on very hot days like Wednesday. The DOH recommended finding someplace cool, even if it’s only for a few hours. The GCHD release said that most NCW Libraries branches operate as clean air shelters during normal business hours.  

For people who do have air conditioning, keeping indoor air clean is easier with a filter rated for particle air removal. The filter should be checked and cleaned regularly.

There are portable air cleaners, and the ones that are best for improving indoor air quality have a “High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter,” the DOH said. People should choose one that’s a filter only, without other technologies. It should be the right size for the room. 

Smoke affects animals as well as people, so owners can protect their pets by keeping them inside. Outdoor time should be kept to a minimum. Livestock need plenty of water in smoky conditions, just like they do when it’s hot. A sprinkler or mister in livestock pens will help keep down dust, which might add to respiratory irritation, the DOH said.