Oregon Smoke Information

Canyonville, OR—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is extending an air quality advisory for Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties, and including southern Douglas County, due to smoke that continues to blow south from the Milepost 97 Fire near Canyonville. The advisory will be in place for at least the next several days, possibly longer. DEQ and partner agencies are reassessing conditions every few days. There is expected to be consistent smoke in the moderate to unhealthy range in these areas. People who are sensitive to smoke should consider leaving the area until conditions improve. A temporary air quality monitor will be set up in Glendale to provide a clearer understanding of conditions in southern Douglas County. Curry County is no longer under advisory, but Curry and Lake counties may continue to experience intermittent smoke over the next several days. DEQ will continue to monitor smoke in these areas. Smoke conditions can change rapidly near wildfir...

Sunday July 28, 2019 9:00 am The Fire:   The Mile Post 97 Fire, located about 1 mile southeast of Canyonville was reported on Wednesday, July 24 th at approximately 10:00 pm.   The fire is burning in timber, in steep, rocky terrain with limited access.    As of Sunday morning, the fire has burned 11,000 acres with 5% containment, and has spotted over to the east side of I-5.      Structures are threatened and level 2 “Get Set” evacuations are in progress for all residences on the west side of the freeway between mileposts 88-83.   The fire is being managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry is human caused.   There will be a community meeting at 7 pm tonight at Glendale High School.   Weather: C urrently, an upper level trough of low pressure is present in the Gulf of Alaska with a ridge of high pressure over southern California and Arizona.  This is creating zonal flow (westerlies) over southwestern Orego...

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory on Friday for much of southwest Oregon due to smoke from a wildfire in southern Douglas County, approximately one mile southeast of Canyonville.   Curry, Jackson, Josephine and Klamath Counties are affected. This air advisory is in place through the weekend until Monday, July 29, 2019 . On Monday morning, DEQ will evaluate whether to extend the advisory and in which locations.   Smoke conditions can change rapidly near wildfires, check current air quality conditions and advisories on DEQ’s website or by downloading the OregonAir app on a smartphone.   Resources: Check current conditions on DEQ’s Air Quality Index at https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map or by downloading the OregonAIR app on your smartphone Track current advisories at https://www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/Air-Pollution-Advisories.aspx or on the OregonAIR app Learn more ...

  1.  Current satellite picture shows smoke smeared throughout SW Oregon, especially affecting the Rogue Valley.   2.  Upper level trough will move toward the state today and initiate a modest marine push. This will push smoke more eastward and should give some relief to Grants Pass but not much to Medford and Ashland.   3.  The marine push may push smoke into Klamath Falls this evening.   4.  The weather pattern changes little over the weekend into early next week. Wind flow will be mostly NW’erly during the afternoon, turning northerly overnight. This will provide little relief for the Medford/Ashland area but allow for some afternoon clearing in Grants Pass. Klamath Falls and possibly Lakeview could see late afternoon to evening intrusions of smoke with reduced smoke during the morning to early afternoon hours.   5.  Overall weather pattern with remain very warm and dry with thunderstorms unlikely. Source: Nick Yonker, S...

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality advisory for much of southwest Oregon due to smoke from a wildfire in southern Douglas County, approximately one mile southeast of Canyonville. Curry, Jackson, Josephine and Klamath Counties are affected. This air advisory is in place through the weekend until Monday, July 29, 2019. On Monday morning, DEQ will evaluate whether to extend the advisory and in which locations. Smoke conditions can change rapidly near wildfires, check current air quality conditions and advisories on DEQ’s website or by downloading the OregonAir app on a smartphone. On Friday afternoon, air quality monitors measuring particulate matter, a core component of wildfire smoke, along Interstate 5 in Grants Pass, Medford, Talent and Ashland are reading red or unhealthy for everyone. Monitors in Provolt along Highway 238 and Cave Junction along Highway 199 are also reading red. DEQ and partner agencies will be monitoring weath...

Anyone who’s lived in Oregon for more than a few years, knows wildfire smoke has gotten worse in recent summers. But just how much worse may be surprising. A new report on wildfire smoke trends from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality   -- “Wildfire Smoke Trends and Associated Health Risks: Bend, Klamath Falls, Medford and Portland - 1985 to 2018” -- shows that as wildfires grow in size and frequency, so do the amount of days where air quality is “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. There are also more unhealthy, very unhealthy and hazardous days than in the past. That means air quality is unhealthy – or worse – for everyone, not just those in sensitive groups like pregnant women, children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions. Not surprisingly, the most significant impacts from fires are in Southern Oregon. Here are some of the report’s key findings: ·       Between 1987 and 2014, Bend had five unhealthy days...

If you take a look at the Air Quality Index on Thursday evening or in the wee hours of Friday morning, you might wonder – where’s the fire? Chances are that monitors that were green (or good) just hours before may be orange or red. An orange reading reflects air quality that’s unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse, while red means unhealthy for everyone. (Learn more about the color-coded AQI and steps you can take to  safeguard your health .) We’re knocking on wood and crossing our fingers here, but the most likely culprit won’t be a wildfire but fireworks. All those bright lights can kick up some serious  particulate matter  and send those monitors from green to red or higher. If you’re out and about and want to check air quality, download the OregonAIR app on your phone. Now’s also a great time to brush up on how wildfire smoke can affect your health. Check out the smoke and health tab above for more resources. People with asthma should have  an asthma...