What’s with the air today? Here’s how bad it is

Air quality in the Tri-Cities was deteriorating Friday morning as smoke blew into the area from fires burning in Grant and Kittitas counties.

Air quality was rated good early in the morning but by 10 a.m. the smell of smoke hung in the air.

By late morning the Benton Clean Air Agency was reporting enough smoke in the area for air quality to be considered only moderate. It improved slightly after noon, but did not return to a rating of “good.”

People sensitive to smoke — including people with asthma, diabetes or lung or heart disease — should limit outdoor activities, according to information from the Washington state Department of Ecology.

North of the Tri-Cities at Mesa, the air quality deteriorated through the morning from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to Washington’s Air Monitoring Network.

Check back for updates.

This story was originally published July 20, 2018 at 12:50 PM.