Monday morning, the National Weather Service released this Air Quality statement:
"...AIR QUALITY ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT THURSDAY...
The Washington State Department of Ecology has issued an Air Quality
Alert...in effect until noon PDT Thursday for the following counties
in central, south central and southeast Washington:
Benton
Columbia
Franklin
Kittitas
Klickitat
Walla Walla
The EPA has an air quality website, that provides quick and easy information about how bad, or good, our air is. Give the smoke and fires, they're probably getting record numbers of hits.
Pasco Schools released a statement at 10am Tuesday:
Following guidelines on air quality from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Pasco School District has decided to keep all students and staff inside for recess, lunch and physical education classes today (9/5). All...
Tuesday morning, school officials in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, Washtucna and Christ The King Private School announced their students will be kept inside during recess, lunch, P.E. and other periods they would normally be outdoors, due to very poor air quality from our NW Fires. After being rated moderate Sunday, conditions have worsened rapidly. This image shows Kennewick prior to 6am.
According to various sources, the air quality in Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Northeast Oregon is among the worst in the entire U.S., due to smoke from those British Columbia fires and others. On the map, yellow is moderate, orange not very good, and red is 'put on a mask and stay indoors..'
There is hope and relief in the Tri-Cities for the haze filled skies above us.
The Department Of Ecology reported improved conditions over the weekend and are looking for improved conditions this coming week.
By way of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the website Washington Smoke Information, here's what it looked like from above when all that smoke from Canada and other Northwest fires rolled in. These photos are time lapse from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning.
Winds from the north is pushing smoke from British Columbia due to wild fires.
The Washington Air Quality Advisory says it is unhealthy for infants, children, pregnant women, adults over 65, and people with chronic health conditions, including heart disease, lung diseases, asthma or diabetes, or who have had a stroke...
Look out any window in TC right now and you'll see a smokey haze. It seems that the fire might be close but in reality it's a bit further away then you'd think...