DEQ extends statewide air quality advisory

Oregon DEQ has extended a statewide air quality advisory through Thursday, September 17. (Image, Heavy smoke at the Idleyd Store, inciweb)

Press Release from Klamath County Public Health

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Klamath County Public Health (KCPH) officials report that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is extending a statewide air quality advisory through Thursday, September 17. The air quality in the Klamath Basin is anticipated to range from unhealthy to hazardous throughout the week.

Widespread fires in Oregon, California, and Washington will continue to affect air quality throughout the Pacific Northwest. At 9 this morning the DEQ monitoring website reported Klamath Falls had an air quality index of 159, or unhealthy. The index routinely fluctuates throughout the day.

Statewide, 10% of emergency room visits since last Thursday have been asthma-like symptoms, directly related to the wildfire smoke.

“The community has seen extended periods of hazardous air quality. Staying indoors remains the best way to prevent smoke exposure,” said KCPH Director Jennifer Little. “Creating a clean air space in one room, with a filtering device is ideal.”

Little noted that filters and fans have become highly sought after throughout Oregon. Placing a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter on the discharge side of a box fan is a simple way to filter indoor air.

She also said that residents should ensure they have a five-day supply of medication to prevent a need to go out to the pharmacy. Those with respiratory and cardiac disease are especially vulnerable during periods of heavy smoke intrusion.

Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases.

Currently, masks and respirators known to protect against wildfire smoke particles, the N95, are in short supply and are being reserved as personal protective equipment for health professionals. The best way to reduce smoke exposure is to stay indoors.

Know if you are at risk:

• If you have heart or lung diseases, such as congestive heart failure, angina, COPD, emphysema, or asthma, you are at a higher risk of having health problems from the smoke.

• Older adults are more likely to be affected by smoke because they are more likely to have heart or lung diseases than younger people.

• Children are more likely to be affected by health threats from smoke because their airways are still developing and because they breathe more air per pound of bodyweight than adults. Children also are more likely to be active outdoors.

Recommendations for people with chronic diseases include:

• Have an adequate supply of medication (more than five days).

• If you have asthma, make sure you have a written asthma management plan.

• If you have heart disease, check with your health care providers about precautions to take during smoke events.

• If you plan to use a portable air cleaner, select a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or an electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Buy one that matches the room size specified by the manufacturer.

• Call your health care provider if your condition gets worse when you are exposed to smoke.

During periods of impact from wildfire smoke, community members will notice a discussion of the air quality index number. This number is most helpful when residents know its meaning. KCPH wants to help the community “know the numbers”. High temperatures can make the smoky conditions more uncomfortable. Knowing the range of air quality numbers can help people make good choices about outdoor activities.

The six levels of the air quality index are:

The KCPH air quality webpage can be found at http://airquality.klamathcounty.org. Hourly updates are available at https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map.

Estimating visibility using the 5-3-1 Index
Determine the limit of your visual range by looking for distant targets or familiar landmarks such as mountains or buildings at known distances (miles). The visual range is the point at which these targets are no longer visible. As a general rule of thumb: if you can clearly see the outlines of individual trees on the horizon it is less than five miles away.

Ideally, the viewing of any distant targets should be made with the sun behind you. Looking into the sun or at an angle increases the ability of sunlight to reflect off of the smoke, and makes the visibility estimate less reliable.

Once the distance has been determined, follow this simple guide:

• If visibility is well over five miles, the air quality is generally good.

• Even if visibility is five miles away but generally hazy, air quality is moderate and beginning to deteriorate, and is generally healthy, except possibly for smoke sensitive persons. The general public should avoid prolonged exposure if conditions are smoky to the point where visibility is closer to the 5-mile range.

• If under five miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma, or other respiratory illness. These people should minimize outdoor activity.

• If under three miles, air quality is unhealthy for everyone.  Young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma, or other respiratory illness. These people should minimize outdoor activity.

• If under one mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone.  Everyone should avoid all outdoor activities.