Wildfire smoke lingers across Washington

Wildfire smoke will continue to blanket much of Washington in the coming days, with central and eastern Washington facing the worst conditions, according to Beth Friedman, Lead Air Quality Modeler and Forecaster at the Washington State Department of Ecology.

“There’s really a considerable amount of smoke over the region right now,” Friedman said. “The smoke likely isn’t going anywhere for the next few days.”

Air quality alerts remain in effect for all counties in Central and Eastern Washington, where conditions range from moderate to very unhealthy. Friedman said the alerts are issued based on both current and forecasted air quality, which can fluctuate throughout the day as smoke mixes down to the surface.

Limit outdoor activities amid heavy wildfire smoke

Friedman advised residents to limit outdoor activity and seek clean air whenever possible.

“Find clean air as best you can, limit exercise and rigorous activities,” she said.

Western Washington, including the Seattle area, is experiencing hazy skies with only minor smoke impacts.

“I smelled a little bit of smoke for about an hour yesterday afternoon,” Friedman said. “Northwest Washington got some smoke transported down from fires in British Columbia, but that largely mixed out.”

Looking at weather conditions

While temperatures are expected to cool slightly, which could help dampen fire activity, Friedman said the lack of wind is preventing smoke from dispersing.

“The winds right now have been really light,” she said. “So the smoke just sits and mixes together and doesn’t really move around or go anywhere.”

She compared the current conditions to September 2020, when smoke from fires in California and Oregon lingered over Washington for nearly two weeks.

“This is a bit of a perfect storm,” Friedman said. “We’ve got smoke from local fires started by some dry lightning, and then the hot and dry weather has really led to an increase in fire activity.”

She does not expect a repeat of what we saw five years ago, however.

“Most likely we won’t have to deal with such a large-scale regional event again.”

But Friedman said it’s difficult to predict whether the region will face another large-scale smoke event later this month. Relative humidity is increasing, which should help, but there are no major rain events expected within the next week, she said.

Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.

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