Monitoring Air Quality Amid Wildfire Season Peak

Smoke has been hanging heavily over Spokane County for weeks, drifting in from various fires in the region, depending on which way the wind blows. The air quality got worse Saturday, Aug. 1, after new fires exploded in Spokane. Weather conditions were reported to include high wind speeds and temperatures, and low humidity. The largest of the new fires is the Old Trails fire that started on the West Plains and was pushed northeast by the wind, speeding through a chunk of Riverside State Park before jumping the Spokane River and tearing through the Indian Trail and Five Mile neighborhoods in Spokane.

Fire officials announced Sunday, Aug. 2, that at least 640 structures had been destroyed, including homes, shops, and detached garages. Online videos of the Indian Trail neighborhood showed street after street of homes reduced to smoldering rubble. The fire size was estimated at 3,619 acres on Monday morning, Aug. 3, and was still burning. Another significant new fire that started on Saturday was the Autumn Lane fire, located just south of the Spokane River in the Nine Mile Falls area.

Embers crossed the river and ignited a small fire in Stevens County in the Meadowview neighborhood; the fire was up to 4,318.6 acres as of Aug. 3. The Fairview fire started in Mead near the intersection of Fairview Road and Piper Road and was reported at 1,056.1 acres on Monday, spreading nearly to Bruce Road. Officials stated that other fires have been burning in Ferry and Stevens County, some for weeks. The largest is the Kaiser Canyon Fire in the area around Nespelem, which was estimated at 136,423.7 acres Monday morning.

The smoke that arrived in Spokane County weeks ago, however, was mostly from several large fires burning in Oregon, according to fire officials. Wind in the Spokane area typically comes from the southwest, carrying smoke from those fires into the area. On days the wind comes from the north, it carries smoke from fires in Canada. The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency monitors air quality in the area, including contaminants con- tained in wildfire smoke. The agency takes Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements every hour. Anything under 50 is good, 51-100 is moderate, and 101-150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

A measurement of 151-200 is unhealthy for all, 201-300 is very unhealthy, and anything over 301 is considered hazardous, according to the agency. This year, the air quality in Spokane County went above 200 for the first time on July 17 with an AQI of 206. The area doesn’t usually see an AQI that high due to wildfire smoke until August, said Communications and Outreach Manager Lisa Woodard. “That is the earliest we have had that,” she said. The Clean Air Agency has several monitors throughout the county and the AQI that is reported to the public is the highest one. “If we have one monitor that’s the highest, that’s what we report,” Woodard said.

Deer Park saw an AQI of 159-171 on Aug. 3, while areas south such as Colbert were listed at 207. No data was available at press time for Chattaroy or Elk. Woodard said the monitors measure pm2.5, which is particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller, as well as pm10. “Both can go very deep in the lungs and cause damage,” she said. “These particulates can enter even through the bloodstream.” The level of those particulates are translated into the AQI, a national standardized tool used to monitor air quality, Woodard said. “If we reported the concentration of a pollutant, it wouldn't mean anything to people,” she said. The effect wildfire smoke has on a person depends on the level of pollutants in the air and the person’s health, Woodard said. A person with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a heart condition, or other lung issue will be impacted more than a healthy person, she said. “So much of it is based on your personal health condition,” she said.

Studies have shown an uptick in heart attacks and strokes during times of high wildfire smoke contamination, Woodard said. “Fine smoke particles are to be taken seriously,” she said. When the AQI is high, the agency recommends limiting time outdoors and avoiding strenuous activity outside. People can also consider using High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters to help keep their indoor air clean.

The agency has created a website, smokereadyspokane.org, to provide tips on setting up a clean air room, choosing a face mask, and limiting smoke exposure. The AQI is updated hourly and an air quality forecast is released every morning at 9:30 a.m., Woodard said; readings can be viewed at spokanecleanair.org/air-quality/current-air-quality. Woodard said she expects to see a lot more poor air quality days this season. “Wildfire season is something that’s happened nearly every summer since 2012,” she said. “This is shaping up to be a busy wildfire season.”