Wildfires Create Hazardous Air Quality Concern in Basin

 

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Smoke intrusion from regional wildfires has created hazardous air quality concerns in Klamath County. Public Health encourages Klamath County residents to take precautions to avoid health problems during hot, smoky conditions.

Winds, as forecasted by the Weather Service, may increase the already hazardous conditions in the Klamath Basin.

Weather conditions and smoke levels can vary dramatically during wildfires. Conditions can change as frequently as on an hourly basis. Smoke may also impact one portion of a community but not another.

The combination of high temperatures and wildfire smoke in Klamath County may increase the risk of illness especially for people with asthma, respiratory or heart conditions, older adults, and young children. Public Health urges all residents, especially those at increased risk, to take the following precautions:

 

·         Reduce the amount of time spent outdoors.

 

·         Keep indoor locations tightly closed. If you have air conditioner, set it to re-circulate air instead of bringing in outdoor air.

 

·         Reduce other sources of indoor air pollution such as burning cigarettes, gas, propane and wood burning stoves and furnaces, and activities such as cooking, burning candles and vacuuming

 

·         Reduce the amount of time engaged in vigorous outdoor physical activity. This can be an important and effective strategy to lower the dose of inhaled air pollutants and minimize health risks during a smoke event.

 

·         Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol or decaffeinated fluids to keep cool.

 

·         Individuals with lung disease or respiratory illnesses such as asthma should follow their health care provider’s advice about prevention and treatment of symptoms.

 

Klamath County Public Health will continue to release information on our blog (www.klamathairquality.blogspot.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/klamathbasinairquality) as smoke conditions change

For more information about air quality; how to protect your health during the forest fire season and how to protect your health when temperatures soar, visit the following website:

http://public.health.oregon.gov/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx

 

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

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

 

To learn how to use visibility to measure risk of health effects, visit

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

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Air quality issues continue through the weekend

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Smoke intrusion from regional wildfires continues to create hazardous air quality concerns in Klamath County. County residents should take precautions to avoid health problems.

 

The Department of Environmental Quality reported air quality as very unhealthy and hazardous earlier in the week.

 

Residents can visit https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map to learn the current air quality index. Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. The six levels of health concern and what they mean are:

·         Good is 0 to 50. Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.

·         Moderate is 51 to 100. Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms.

·         Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups is 101 to 150. Although the general public is not likely to be affected at this range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air.

·         Unhealthy is 151 to 200. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects.

·         Very Unhealthy is 201 to 300. This would trigger a health alert signifying that everyone may experience more serious health effects.

·         Hazardous is greater than 300. This would trigger a health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

Air quality and weather conditions can vary dramatically during wildfires. Conditions can change hourly.

 

The combination of wildfire smoke and high temperatures in Klamath County may increase the risk of illness. Public Health officials encourage all residents, especially those at increased risk, to take the following precautions:

·         Reduce the amount of time spent outdoors.

·         Keep indoor locations tightly closed. If you have air conditioner, set it to re‐circulate air instead of bringing in outdoor air.

·         Reduce other sources of indoor air pollution such as burning cigarettes, gas, propane and wood burning stoves and furnaces, and activities such as cooking, burning candles and vacuuming.

·         Drink plenty of water, or other non‐alcohol or decaffeinated fluids, to keep cool.

·         Individuals with respiratory issues should follow their health care provider’s advice about prevention and treatment of symptoms.

The Klamath Air Quality Blog (www.klamathairquality.blogspot.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/klamathbasinairquality) will continue to be updated as smoke conditions change.

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Dangerous Heat and Possible Thunderstorms Later this Week

Impacts

● Near record high temperatures Thursday through this weekend could cause heat illnesses if overexerting. Stay out of the sun,

especially in the afternoon, and stay hydrated.

● Be careful if recreating in the rivers due to cold water temperatures especially just downstream of dams.

Forecast Confidence

● High confidence for near-record heat.

● Low confidence for thunderstorm coverage and locations.

Timing and Strength

● Heat

●

○ West of the Cascades, many of the inland valleys will see high temperatures between 101 and 106 degrees

Thursday through this weekend. Low temperatures may only fall into the middle to upper 60s Friday and Saturday

mornings. It will be a little cooler in the Umpqua Valley with highs peaking in the middle to upper 90s.

○ East of the Cascades, high temperatures in the valleys will be in the 90s.

● Cold Water

○ The colder river temperatures are only in the 50s and lower 60s.

● Thunderstorms

○ A slight chance of thunderstorms Friday through this weekend for mainly northern California and east of the

Cascades.

Weather Summary

High temperatures will range between 10 and 15 degrees above normal Thursday through this weekend. Excessive heat watches will

likely be issued followed by heat warnings and advisories. Record highs for Medford later this week are around 107 degrees, and for

Klamath Falls around 100 degrees. We do not expect these records to be reached but we could see temperatures peak to within a few

degrees of record highs across southern Oregon and northern California. Monsoonal moisture from the southwest U.S. may move toward

our region later in the week with thunderstorms possible beginning Friday afternoon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 5, 2018
Contact: Courtney Vanbragt, cvanbragt@klamathcounty.org, or Valeree Lane, vlane@klamathcounty.org, 541.882.8846

 

Smoke intrusion from California wildfire influences Klamath’s air quality

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Smoke intrusion from California’s County Fire, which is east of Lake Berryessa in Napa and Yolo counties, is expected to create air quality concerns in Klamath County. The air quality outlook for 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday July 6 is expected to be in the range of moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups.  

The Weather Service is forecasting south to southeast winds during the day, which will facilitate the smoke reaching the Klamath Basin. Forecast models indicate that the smoke may remain in the area into midafternoon. Sensitive groups, such as people with asthma, should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion, and consider moving activities indoors or rescheduling.  Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion, and take more breaks during all outdoor activities.  

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, visit

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

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