Air quality advisory for Crook County and eastern Douglas and Lane counties [Aviso sobre la calidad del aire]
QUICK
FACTS
Location: Crook County, eastern Douglas County
and eastern Lane County
End date: Sunday evening, Sept. 7
Smoke source: Emigrant Fire and
Marks Creek Fire
** Información en español **
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Lane Regional Air Protection Agency issued an air quality advisory Friday, Sept. 5, for Crook County and eastern Douglas and Lane counties due to smoke from the Emigrant and Marks Creek fires.
The agencies expect the air quality advisory to last until at least Sunday evening, Sept. 7. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in the area.
DEQ also expects intermittent smoke in several parts of Oregon until at least Sunday afternoon because of multiple wildfires in the region. Affected areas include Baker, Deschutes, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and northern Wasco counties, as well as the Cottage Grove and Roseburg areas.
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 too hot, run air conditioning on recirculate or consider moving to
a cooler location.
- Avoid
strenuous outdoor activity.
- Use high-efficiency
particulate air (HEPA) filters in indoor ventilation systems or portable
air purifiers. Or create
your own air purifying filter by following these instructions.
- Be aware
of smoke in your area and avoid places with the highest levels.
- When
air quality improves to moderate or healthy (yellow or green on the Air
Quality Index), open windows and doors to air out homes and businesses.
- If you have a breathing plan for a medical condition, be sure to follow it and keep any needed medications refilled.
Cloth, dust and surgical masks don’t protect from the harmful particles in smoke. N95 or P100 respirators approved by NIOSH may offer protection, but they must be properly selected and worn. Select a NIOSH-approved respirator with a N, R or P alongside the number 95, 99 or 100. Learn how to put on and use a respirator. Respirators won’t work for children as they don’t come in children’s sizes. People with heart or lung conditions should consult their health care provider before wearing a respirator.
Additional resources:
- Find a cleaner air space in your area: Visit 211info.org and search for “Wildfire Related Clean Air Shelters.” Or call 211 any time or day.
- Learn more about protecting your health during wildfires
Media contacts:
- DEQ: Michael Loch, 503-737-9435, michael.loch@deq.oregon.gov
- LRAPA: Matt Sorensen, 541-736-1056 ext. 209, msorensen@lrapa.org
- Local and Tribal contacts
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