Air quality advisory for parts of Southern and Eastern Oregon, extended for northern Harney and northern Malheur counties
QUICK FACTS
Location: Grant,
Klamath, Northern Harney, Northern Lake, Northern Mallheur and Southern Morrow
counties
End
date: Monday afternoon, July 22
Smoke
source: Fires in Oregon
** Información
en español **
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air
quality advisory Friday, July 19, for the following areas due to smoke from
fires in Oregon:
- Klamath
County*
- Northern Lake County
- Grant
County
- Southern Morrow County
*Air quality may improve in southern Klamath County over the weekend.
DEQ also extended the advisory for:
- Northern Harney County
- Northern Malheur County
DEQ expects the air quality advisory to last until at least Monday
afternoon, July 22. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in
the area.
DEQ also expects intermittent smoke in eastern Douglas, northern Jackson and eastern Lane
County through Monday due to smoke from the Trail Fire.
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: Antony Vorobyov, 503-887-9113, antony.vorobyov@deq.oregon.gov
DEQ: Lauren Wirtis, 503-568-3295, lauren.wirtis@deq.oregon.gov
Firefighters enter a smoky forest with the support of a helicopter. Photo from InciWeb.
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