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