Air Quality Report & Outlook for Sunday, 9/21/2014
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Despite the very warm
temperatures Saturday, firefighters continued to make good progress on mop up
of the fire which continues to smolder in the punky logs and organic material
on the forest floor. Saturday
throughout most of the day, the air quality in Oakridge and Westfir was “GOOD”.
Saturday evening smoke moved through the Westfir/ Deception Creek
drainage causing “Unhealthy” conditions
for a period of about 4 hours.
For today, Sunday,
there is some uncertainty as to how quickly the inversion will lift. Temperatures
will be warm, but not as warm as Saturday. Winds will be light and out of the
west to northwest, pushing any smoke in an east to southeasterly direction. Throughout
the day, hazy skies are forecasted lasting 1-4 hours, off & on. However, “Moderate”
to “Good” air quality conditions should
prevail. Night time down drainage
flows will bring residual smoke into the Westfir/Deception Creek area again
tonight and in the early morning hours. Expecting rain mid-week.
Smoke
forecasts are dependent on predicted fire growth and weather. If
conditions change unexpectedly, impacts could occur.
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Deception Complex Smoke Report (prepared by Claudia Standish, Air Resource
Advisor)
Air Quality Forecast for Sunday (Particulate
Matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter)
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Site
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Sunday Morning
Sept. 21, 2014
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Sunday Afternoon
Sept. 21, 2014
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Sunday Evening
Sept. 21, 2014
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Oakridge
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Good
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Good
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Good
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Westfir
(@the Deception Creek Drainage)
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Good to Moderate
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Good to Moderate
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Moderate to Unhealthy
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AQI Index (µg/m3)
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Potential Health Impacts
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Actions to Protect Yourself
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Good (0-12)
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Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health
risk.
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None
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Moderate (13-35)
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Air quality is acceptable for most. There may be moderate
health concern for a small number of sensitive people.
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Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged
or heavy outdoor exertion.
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Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (36-55)
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Members of sensitive groups may experience health
effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
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People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults
should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. Everyone else
should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.
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Unhealthy
(56-150)
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Everyone may begin to experience more serious health effects.
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The following groups should avoid all physical outdoor
activity: People with heart or lung disease, children and older
adults. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
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Very Unhealthy
(151-250)
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Triggers a health alert, meaning everyone may experience more
serious health effects
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Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with
respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors.
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