A smoking hot weekend in the cards

As the Treasure Valley continues to see temperatures in the triple digits, smoke from ongoing wildfires in eastern Oregon continues to impact local air quality.

“We see [Air Quality Index] levels anywhere from the mid-yellow Moderate into the orange, which is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups … for both particulate matter, which is that smoke, and the other pollutant we’re concerned about is ozone,” said Michael Toole, a regional airshed coordinator for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.

“Those two pollutants will continue to impact Southwest Idaho through the weekend and into next week.”

Fires responsible for the Boise area’s air quality concerns include the Cow Valley fire, which spans 133,408 acres and is 77% contained, the Lone Rock fire, which spans 83,922 acres is 40% contained and the Durkee fire, which spans 2,699 acres and is 0% contained. All of those figures are as of Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, blazes like the Bench Lake Fire near Stanley and the Texas Fire in Latah and Nez Perce counties continue to affect the northern part of the state, with minimal impacts in the Treasure Valley. As of Friday, the former has totaled 2,037 acres and is 8% contained, while the latter is at 1,564 acres and is 10% contained.

High temperatures and low humidity are conducive to the ignition and spread of wildfire. These conditions are expected to persist through the weekend and into next week, with Saturday, Sunday and Monday possibly reaching highs of 107 or 108 degrees.

“We are on track to at least tie the consecutive days with high temperatures over 100 [record] for the Boise area,” Sophia Adams, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said. “That was set at 9 [days] in 2003, 2006, 2015 and 2021. If next Thursday remains hot, we’ll break it with 10.”

By late next week, temperatures will likely “cool off” into the high 90s.

“The high pressure system over us that’s causing those really hot temperatures, those fire conditions, will kind of be pushed out for what they call a low pressure system, which will help with the fire activity a little bit,” Toole said. “But, I think for the next seven days at least … it’s just going to be wildfire smoke, probably in that yellow and orange category.”

Toole recommends staying indoors as much as possible to limit exposure to smoky air. Time outside should be limited to short periods, and strenuous physical activity is not advised. For those in need of a place to beat the heat, cooling centers are in operation at various municipal buildings, activity centers and places of worship.

“Remember to stay hydrated and check on your loved ones,” Adams said. “Also, don’t walk your pets on hot pavement. That hurts their paws.”