Tri-Cities smoky air rated as ‘unhealthy’ overnight as area surrounded by fires

The Tri-Cities was choking on smoke overnight as air quality deteriorated early Friday morning to a level considered “unhealthy” for all people, according to the Washington state Department of Ecology.

It had improved to a rating of “moderate” by about 7 a.m.

The Tri-Cities already had smoke lingering in the air from fires surrounding it, said Rob Brooks, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

New smoke overnight appeared to be coming from the southwest where multiple fires were burning in the Oregon Cascade Mountains south of Arlington down to central Oregon, Brooks said.

During the day in the Tri-Cities heat pushes the smoke up higher in the air, but then it drops lower to the ground at night, he said.

Air rated as “moderate” is generally acceptable, but when particles of smoke reach a level rated as “unhealthy,” everyone may begin to feel health effects and sensitive groups — such as infants, children, pregnant women, those over 65 and those with chronic illnesses — are at risk of serious health effects.

In addition to the Oregon fires, in Washington to the north of the Tri-Cities, fires were burning near Kahlotus, downstream from Kahlotus on the Snake River, and near Lyons Ferry in Franklin County; not far from Lyons Ferry to the southeast in Columbia County; and near Royal Lake in Adams County as of Friday morning.

A fire flared up overnight on Little Badger Mountain off of Morency Drive in Richland, but was quickly knocked down. Friday morning firefighters were battling a 2-acre wildfire west of Benton City.

The Washington state Department of Ecology issued an air quality alert Friday morning through 9 a.m. Sunday starting just north of Connell and extending into the Spokane and Pullman areas.