Smoke-weary Tri-Cities might see limited clearing

Stay indoors. Close your windows. Do only light activities. And if you must go outdoors, wear an N-95 respirator mask.

That’s the advice of the Washington State Department of Ecology as a thick layer of smoke from wildfires fouls the air, bringing air quality to a level the state considers “very unhealthy” in the Tri-Cities.

People spent another day in a cough-inducing, gloomy gray cloud on Wednesday.

Most of the smoke was coming up from Southwest Oregon, with one of the highest profile wildfires in the region, the Eagle Creek fire near Portland, generally sending its smoke farther north, according to the weather service.

Some relief may be coming for the Tri-Cities, with a minor improvement in air quality starting Thursday and possibly increasing through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

The improvement might be only slight to moderate, and might not last longer than it takes for the next area of high pressure to build over the Mid-Columbia, possibly next week.

The weather service predicts widespread haze to persist through at least Sept. 13, but widespread smoky conditions could moderate to patchy smoke in the Tri-Cities in the next few days.

Such heavy smoke is unusual for Eastern Washington state in recent years.

However, the fire season is on pace to be normal statewide.

About 245,000 acres have burned so far in Washington, meaning the fire season might reach the normal of 260,000 acres burned, said Jason Tomlinson, an atmospheric scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, relying on U.S. Forest Service statistics.

Oregon, which is responsible for much of the recent smoke in the Tri-Cities, is having a more severe fire season than normal.

About 570,000 acres have burned, which is about 80,000 more acres more than has burned on average by the end of the fire season in the last 10 years in the state, Tomlinson.

About two weeks are left of the peak fire season, but fires could continue into October, given this year’s above normal temperatures and dry fire season.

Fire officials already predict they won’t have the Jolly Mountain fire fully contained until Oct. 15.

If the western United States fire season seems worse than usual, it may be because of what is burning.

“It’s burning a lot of acres where people like to recreate,” Tomlinson said. “It makes it more painful and emotional.”

A 31,000-acre fire continues to burn in the Columbia River Gorge area, and on Wednesday the Norse Peak Fire led to the closure of part of the Mount Rainier National Park and 70 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Elsewhere in the West, a fire burned into a grove of 2,700-year-old giant sequoia near Yosemite National Park in California, and another fire burned in Glacier National Park in Montana.

As the smoke rolled through the Tri-Cities on Wednesday, visibility was reduced for drivers. The Washington State Police Department asked drivers in Eastern Washington to turn on their headlights during the day.

The West Richland Police Department offered 120 N-95 respirator masks at no cost to elderly people and others with health conditions that could be aggravated by the smoke. They are available at the police station until they run out.

For a second day on Wednesday, schools kept students indoors during recess, physical education classes and lunch. Athletic practices were being moved inside or canceled and most outdoor sports matches were canceled or postponed.

Other events were being canceled because of the poor air quality.

The Tri-Cities Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be postponed from Saturday until Oct. 15.

The artisan market set for Friday at John Dam Plaza in Richland was canceled, along with Saturday’s Dancing Under the Stars event, an outdoor swing dance and concert planned for John Dam Plaza.

The health effects of breathing in smoke are real, Tomlinson said. The particles irritate lungs and it make more difficult for the body to take in oxygen.

The human respiratory system cannot capture pollutants as fine as smoke particles before it reaches the lungs.

The smoke can cause the bronchial tubes to spasm and constrict as they try to get rid of pollutants, Tomlinson said.

The emergency room, and urgent and express care clinics of Kadlec Regional Medical Center in the Tri-Cities were seeing more patients with respiratory complaints this week, Kadlec spokesman Jim Hall said.

People with asthma, lung and heart disease have an increased risk of symptoms or worsening of the disease with air quality in the “very unhealthy” zone, Ecology said.

People with chronic illnesses, including a past stroke, should check with their health care provider for advice about leaving the area if the very unhealthy air quality continues. Those with shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pains, extreme fatigue or palpitations should call their doctor or 911.

Pets also suffer when air quality is poor. Pets should be kept indoors as much as possible, said the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association.

Signs that pets, horses and livestock are suffering include open-mouth breathing, excessive eye watering, nasal discharge and increased breathing rates.

Ecology’s map showing air quality standards across the state remained overwhelmed by users Wednesday, which also was making the linked air quality gauges on the Benton Clean Air Agency website unreadable for much of the time.

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency site remained usable, but local officials cautioned that state air quality ratings are more stringent that federal ratings. Even though EPA may rate Tri-City air quality as “unhealthy,” smoke may be at a level that the Benton Clean Air Agency and state of Washington consider “very unhealthy.”

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Smoke-weary Tri-Cities might see limited clearing."