Portland Air Quality Worsening as Wildfire Smoke Moves to the Valley

The smoke will likely be here for a while, which is bad news for air quality. Here's how to prepare.

Photo by Rose Bak

Portland's air quality deteriorated noticeably on Friday, moving into the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range. Wildfire smoke combined with high temperatures is creating a potentially dangerous situation for residents across the state.

The change in Portland's normally healthy air is likely only the beginning of what will be at least a month or more of fluctuating air quality conditions.

Last September the air quality in Portland and most of the state became so dangerous it was off the charts. The "Air Quality Index" or AQI has a scale of zero to 500. For several days last year, the AQI rose above 500 as smoke from over thirty fires in Oregon combined with dozens of fires in California and Washington to create dangerous conditions.

Officials fear the Portland area is about to have a repeat of these conditions, and with wildfires burning out of control all up and down the West Coast, there may be no end in sight.

On Friday, several parts of the southern Willamette Valley registered AQI scores of 200 or more, which is considered "very unhealthy". The Portland metro area had AQI scores in the low 100s, which is unhealthy for anyone with lung issues. AQI scores are expected to worsen over the weekend.

Worsening air quality caused officials to place a large portion of the state of Oregon under an "Air Quality Advisory" through Monday afternoon. This advisory includes Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Lane, Linn, and Marion counties.

Photo by Malachi Brooks on Unsplash

The main culprits sending smoke into the area are the Bull Complex fire, which is burning over 800 acres in the Mt. Hood National Forest, and the Middle Fork Complex, which is burning over 7,000 acres in Lane County.

The air quality is also exacerbated by Portland's current high temperatures which are combining with smoke and local pollution sources to create smog. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) spokesperson Susan Mills explained:

“That often happens when extreme heat and sunlight are low to the ground and there are no winds. So we end up getting haze and smog and this tends to be more active in the late afternoon and early evening when a lot of people are driving home from work, when there tends to be more cars on the road.”

The Portland Fire Bureau has also responded to several major fires that likely contributed to local air quality issues, including house fires in southeast and north Portland, as well as at least three fires at local homeless camps.

With temperatures in parts of the state topping 100 degrees the past few days and the potential for lightning storms this weekend, officials worry that drought-stricken vegetation will succumb to additional wildfires. As wildfires spread across the West Coast, air quality may continue to fluctuate.

Photo by Jonathan J. Castellon on Unsplash

Here are some ways you can prepare for worsening air quality due to wildfire smoke:

• Stay inside as much as possible, particularly if you are elderly or have lung issues from things like COVID, asthma, COPD, cancer, or respiratory allergies.
• Use a mask that is a "particulate respirator”. Regular face masks for COVID won't filter out smoke. Look for masks that have the word “NIOSH” and either “N95” or “P100” printed on them.
• Watch for signs of physical distress such as coughing, sore lungs, red burning eyes, runny noses, lethargy, and headache, and seek medical attention as needed.
• Run air purifiers in your home.
• If possible, filter air through the air conditioner.
• Seal up any doors or windows that let in air.

To keep up to date on the air quality in your Portland neighborhood, visit the government's air quality webpage.

#portland #oregon #wildfire #smoke #airquality

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