An Air Quality Alert for smoke was issued by the following agencies:
- Washington State Department of Ecology
- Northwest Clean Air Agency
- Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
- Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
- Southwest Clean Air Agency
Current air quality readings in western Washington range from Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy. This will continue through Thursday due to smoke from wildfires across the region. Winds will shift to an onshore, westerly direction, later this afternoon. There is a large amount of smoke out over the Pacific Ocean that will then be pushed through the region. Westerly winds will continue Thursday and gradually bring improved air quality through the day on Thursday.
Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, aggravate heart and lung diseases, and aggravate other serious health problems. Limit outdoor activities and keep children indoors if it
is smoky. Please follow medical advice if you have a heart or lung condition.
Children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory illnesses are most at risk of serious health effects. If you experience respiratory distress, you should speak with your doctor.
For current current air quality conditions, health precautions, and additional information on wildland fire smoke, visit the Washington Smoke Blog.
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When you enter “Eastsound” or “Friday Harbor” in the Search box for the WA State Air Quality Monitoring Network you get the following reply:
“Sorry, no result for your search.”
If you enter the zip code 98245 in the national AirNow air quality web site, you get the reply:
“Zip code 98245 does not currently have air quality data available”
Same for 98250.
But if you enter, for example, an Anacortes or Bellingham zip code, you get the air quality index, for example 189 for Bellingham at 1 pm on August 21. It has ranged from “Unhealthy” to “Very Unhealthy” these past few days, even edging into “Hazardous” on August 22.
Why is staying indoors better than outdoors? Does anyone know?
I would think it would be, at best, only marginally better.
Eleanor…buy an air filter purifier and keep it running non stop. Read up on what the various filters do…charcoal, hepa, UV, etc. I am moving up there will arrived in a few weeks and got a HOneywell 200 filter unit which is large circular intake.output… the air will start to clean then eventually the cleaner air will recirculate through the unit. Every time you open door to ourside, new particles will be let in and they have to join the general mix of clearner infoor air
Unless you have a sealed “clean room” with filtered air chamber before hand… you are not going to get totally clean air. Also if your car has clean interior air filter, sep from your engine air filter, it could be that inside your car is the best place to be..with the recirculaitng air..you can buy additional air filtes that plug into the cig outlet.