Klamath County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Unit Wildfire Season Daily Update/Forecast for Air Quality

 

The Air Quality outlook for Friday August 11, 2017, from 8:00 am until 8:00 am Monday August 14, 2017 is expected to be in the Good to Moderate range.  The Weather Service is forecasting WSW, SE winds today and tonight, which may continue to give us a break from the smoke. The weather service is forecasting WNW and NW winds Saturday from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm, which will increase the possibility for smoke from the Spruce Lake, Blanket Creek and Flounce fires to come into Chiloquin, Fort Klamath and Klamath Basin Saturday evening. This may cause the air quality to deteriorate into the High Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range. Unhealthy Air Quality means everyone can be affected.  Sensitive groups should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.  Consider moving activities indoors or rescheduling.  Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. Take more breaks during all outdoor activities.  

Early Sunday morning the winds are forecasted to shift to the SW and WSW, which may blow the smoke back out of those areas and put us back into the Good to Moderate Air Quality range. Weather conditions and smoke levels can vary dramatically during wildfires, not only from one day to the next but on an hourly basis. Smoke may also impact one portion of a community but not another.

To learn how to use visibility to measure risk of health effects:

http://www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/Wildfires-Visibility.aspx

 Public Information Officers for the wildfire advisory: Courtney Vanbragt and Erin Schulten at

541-882-8846