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Showing posts from August, 2022

Air quality advisory extended for Curry, Jackson, Josephine counties

QUICK FACTS Location: Curry, Jackson, Josephine counties End date: Thursday or later Smoke source: Rum Creek Fire The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality extended an air quality advisory Monday for Curry, Jackson and Josephine counties due to smoke from the Rum Creek Fire in Southern Oregon. ** Información en español ** DEQ expects the air quality advisory to last until at least Thursday. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in the area. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog , DEQ’s Air Quality Index , or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone. Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. People most at risk include infants and young children, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and pregnant people. Protect yourself and your family when smoke levels are high: Stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed. If it’s

Air quality advisory for Josephine, Curry counties

  QUICK FACTS Location: Josephine County, parts of Curry County End date: Wednesday, Aug. 31 Smoke source: Rum Creek Fire   The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory from Sunday, Aug. 28, to Wednesday, Aug. 31, for Josephine County and parts of Curry County due to smoke from the Rum Creek Fire.   ** Información en español **   DEQ expects the air quality advisory to last until at least Wednesday, Aug. 31. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in the area.   Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog , DEQ’s Air Quality Index , or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone.   Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. People most at risk include infants and young children, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and pregnant people.   Protect yourself and your family when smoke levels are high: Stay

Intermittent smoke possible in parts of southeastern Oregon due to smoke from Idaho wildfires

  Wind will likely bring intermittent wildfire smoke into parts of southeastern Oregon, including Ontario, due to wildfires in neighboring Idaho. Our team will be monitoring conditions and posting updates as needed in the coming days. Air quality conditions can change rapidly. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Blog,  DEQ’s Air Quality Index   or by downloading the free OregonAir app for your smartphone. Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. People most at risk include infants and young children, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and pregnant women. Protect yourself and your family when smoke levels are high: Stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in indoor ventilation systems or portable air purifies. Or  create your own air purifying filter by following these instructions . Be aware of s

Air quality advisory for Southern Josephine County

  QUICK FACTS Location: Southern Josephine County End date: Tuesday, Aug. 9 Smoke source: Wildfires in Northern California The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Monday through Tuesday for Southern Josephine County, including Cave Junction, due to smoke from wildfires in Northern California . ** Información en español ** DEQ expects the air quality advisory to last at least through Tuesday. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in the area. Parts of Oregon close to active wildfires may also be impacted intermittently by smoke this week, such as Oakridge in eastern Lane County due to fires in the central Cascades. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog , DEQ’s Air Quality Index , or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone. Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. People most at risk in

Update: Air quality advisory lifted for Jackson and Klamath counties

Updated Aug. 4, 2022 The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality lifted an air quality advisory Thursday for Jackson and Klamath counties due to improved smoke conditions and a favorable weekend weather forecast. Fires around Oregon and Northern California may still cause localized smoke impacts. Published 11:53 a.m. July 31, 2022 The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Sunday, July 31 through Friday, Aug. 5 for Jackson and Klamath Counties due to smoke from the McKinney fire in Siskiyou County, near Yreka, CA.  ** Información en español. ** DEQ expects the air quality advisory to last until at least Friday, Aug. 5. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in the area. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog , DEQ’s Air Quality Index , or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone. Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medi

Wildfire smoke trends show summertime air quality is worsening

The 2021 wildfire season continued a pattern of more acres burned in Oregon creating poor air quality for longer periods of time. These are among the findings in a newly updated report from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The annual report, Wildfire Smoke Trends and the Air Quality Index, tracks data from DEQ’s air monitoring stations as well as information from other state and national sources on wildfires. The report shows that the number of days in which Oregon air quality rates as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse continues to grow over time. “Sensitive groups” include older adults, pregnant women, young children and those with lung or respiratory disease. So far this year, Oregon has yet to see significant air quality issues from wildfires, but 2021 was emblematic of the trend. Smoke from the Bootleg Fire and other major fires contributed to multiple days throughout the state when the air quality was rated between unhealthy for sensitive groups and haz