Poor air quality results in school evacuation [UPDATED]
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File photo
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Due to the smoke from a prescribed burn in the Chiloquin area, students from Sage Community School have been evacuated from its campus. This action was taken at the direction of officials from Klamath County Public Health and Klamath County Emergency Management.
Students were bused to Chiloquin Elementary School to await pick up by their parents or guardians. This process was initiated shortly after 8:30 a.m. Friday, January 10.
“I was in contact with the school director and it was important to remove students and personnel from the premises,” said Emergency Management Director Brandon Fowler. “This was done out of an abundance of caution due to air quality.”
Public Health Director Jennifer Little explained the particulate matter found in wood smoke is small enough to be caught in the lungs. The irritation from smoke exposure is especially harmful to small children, those with asthma and other lung disease and pregnant women.
Hydration during periods of smoke exposure is important to keep lung tissue moist.
Both directors agreed that the health and safety of community members is their departments’ priority. Working together, they were able to quickly address the concern and help school officials prepare to contact families.
Smoke from pile burning temporarily impacts area near Chiloquin Ranger District
CHILOQUIN, Ore. – Smoke from 12 piles ignited Monday on the Chiloquin Ranger District stagnated due to a bit of high pressure Thursday, creating smoky conditions which impacted the nearby area, including the Sage School.
The piles were part of the Fort Planning Area, an older forest fuels reduction project located east of the Fort Klamath Valley. At one point there were over 150 piles that needed to be burned. At the beginning of this week there were only 40 remaining.
Firefighters have been strategic in burning these piles for the past several years out of concern for the school and local community – burning the piles furthest away from sensitive areas and only when conditions were ideal.
“The unsettled weather forecasted for this week presented what appeared to be ideal conditions to take care of 12 more piles this week,” said Chiloquin Ranger District Fire Management Officer Evan Wright. “Unfortunately, there was an unexpected blip of high pressure Thursday that resulted in air stagnation until the next front approached late this morning and the winds resumed in a favorable direction away from the community.”
By 11 a.m. today, smoke conditions in the area had improved dramatically. With the weather coming in this weekend, all 12 piles are anticipated to be snowed out. There are no further prescribed pile burns planned in that area of the Chiloquin Ranger District this winter.
Fire managers are looking at alternatives to burning for removal of the remaining piles which are close to the school.