Air quality advisory for Oregon Coast, Willamette Valley, Southwest Washington, Southern Oregon, Sept. 9

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency and the Southwest Washington Clean Air Agency extended an air quality advisory Tuesday for the Oregon Coast, Willamette Valley, Southwest Washington and Southern Oregon due to smoke from fires in Oregon and Washington. Smoke levels are fluctuating between unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange) and hazardous (maroon) in these areas. Areas closest to fires – near Detroit, Florence, Chiloquin and Eugene – are having the worst smoke impacts. Several roads are closed in these areas. Check TripCheck for the latest information. DEQ expects the air quality advisory to last until at least Thursday afternoon. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in these areas. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on 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. Young children, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions are most at risk. Protect your health when smoke levels are high: Stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Be aware of smoke in your area and avoid places with the highest levels. Use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. These can be portable filters or can be installed in indoor heating, ventilation, cooling and air purification systems. If you have heart or lung disease or asthma, follow your healthcare provider’s advice. If smoke levels are hazardous, consider leaving the area. If you choose to leave the area, remember to take face coverings and hand sanitizer with you to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Cloth, dust and surgical masks don’t protect from the harmful particles in smoke. N95 respirators that are tested to ensure proper fit and that are worn correctly may provide protection. Otherwise, they might just provide a false sense of security. They are not available in children’s sizes and are not recommended for strenuous activities. N95 respirators are in limited supply due to COVID-19. Additional information on wildfire smoke and COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control webpage. DEQ’s color-coded Air Quality Index provides current air quality conditions and ranks air quality as follows: Green is good. Yellow is moderate. Orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, seniors, pregnant women and those with respiratory conditions. Red is unhealthy for everyone. Purple is very unhealthy for everyone. Maroon is hazardous.