Air Quality

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August 10, 2014

Central OR & JDICC Wildfire Air Quality Summary Report

Prepared by Andrea Holland, Air Resource Advisor

   Air Quality Outlook

Yesterday afternoon the South Fork Complex fire burned into heavy fuels producing a high smoke column that was carried north by upper level winds into Morrow County.  Smoke modeling indicates that the source of elevated particulate levels in Baker was the Cougar Fire burning south of Lewiston, ID.  Today and tomorrow, an inversion will persist through late morning to early afternoon, holding in any smoke accumulated over night in valley communities.  Winds are expected to drive the South Fork Complex fire into heavy unburned fuels producing significant smoke in the mid to late afternoon both today and tomorrow. South to southeast winds will push smoke towards Dayville, Mitchell, Paulina and possibly as far as Prineville.  John Day may see moderate impacts from the Bald Sisters fire.  Communities along the Deschutes River valley, especially Bend and northwards, may experience hazy skies in the early evening for both days.  Overnight, smoke is expected to settle into valley communities near the fires such as Dayville, John Day and Paulina.
Site	August 9 AQI		August 10 AQI	August 11 AQI		Remarks
Bend	Good		Good	Good
Burns	Good		Good	Good
Dayville	No data		Moderate	Moderate		Smoky off and on through Sunday
Madras	Good		Good	Good
John Day	Good		Moderate	Moderate		Smoke impacts mostly over night and morning
Paulina	No data		Moderate	Moderate		Smoky off and on through Sunday
Prineville	Good		Moderate	Moderate		Smoke impacts expected late afternoon Sunday
Seneca	Good (est)		Good	Good
Sisters	Good		Good	Good
Unity	No data		Good	Good
PLEASE NOTE: The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review to determine their accuracy.  AQI’s estimated for sites with USFS air monitors.
Air Quality Index		Potential Health Impacts			Actions to Reduce Smoke Exposure
Good		Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk			None
Moderate		Air quality is acceptable for most.  There may be moderate health concern for a very small number of individuals.			People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.  Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups		Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects.  The general public is not likely to be affected.			People with heart or lung disease, children or older adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.  Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.
Unhealthy		Everyone may begin to experience health effects.  These effects may be more serious for sensitive people.			The following groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity: people with heart or lung disease, children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
Very Unhealthy		Triggers a health alert meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects			Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors.
Hazardous		Triggers health warnings of emergency conditions.  Everyone is very likely to be affected by serious health effects.			The following groups should remain indoors and keep activity levels low: people with heart or lung disease, children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.

For more information visit www.oregonsmoke.blogspot.com

Air Quality data can be viewed at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/aqi/index.aspx

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August 8, 2014

Central OR & JDICC Wildfire Air Quality Summary Report

Prepared by Andrea Holland, Air Resource Advisor

   Air Quality Outlook

Yesterday’s northerly winds drove smoke from the Murderers Creek South Fire  (south of Dayville) towards Burns resulting in unhealthy air quality conditions.  Today, weak surface winds will hold inversions (and smoke in affected valleys) through the early to mid-afternoon in areas closest to the South Fork Complex and Bald Sisters Fires.  Late this afternoon surface winds are expected to shift and come more from the west/northwest.  High temperatures with low humidity will persist and likely will result in a similar number of acres burned within the South Fork Complex and Bald Sisters Fires.   Smoke from these fires may drift this afternoon and into the evening  into Johns Day, Seneca, Prairie City and other surrounding communities.  Tonight smoke will linger overnight in downwind low-lying valley areas and into the morning, dispersing with expected winds Friday afternoon.
Site	August 6 AQI		August 7 AQI	August 8 AQI		Remarks
Bend	Good		Good	Good
Burns	Unhealthy		Moderate	Moderate
Madras	Good		Good	Good
John Day	Good		Moderate	Moderate
Prineville	Good		Good	Good
Seneca	No data		Moderate	Moderate		Smokey on 8/6; expect same 8/7
Sisters	Good		Good	Good
PLEASE NOTE: The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review to determine their accuracy.
Air Quality Index		Potential Health Impacts			Actions to Reduce Smoke Exposure
Good		Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk			None
Moderate		Air quality is acceptable for most.  There may be moderate health concern for a very small number of individuals.			People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.  Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups		Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects.  The general public is not likely to be affected.			People with heart or lung disease, children or older adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.  Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.
Unhealthy		Everyone may begin to experience health effects.  These effects may be more serious for sensitive people.			The following groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity: people with heart or lung disease, children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
Very Unhealthy		Triggers a health alert meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects			Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors.
Hazardous		Triggers health warnings of emergency conditions.  Everyone is very likely to be affected by serious health effects.			The following groups should remain indoors and keep activity levels low: people with heart or lung disease, children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.

For more information visit www.oregonsmoke.blogspot.com

Air Quality data can be viewed at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/aqi/index.aspx