Wildfires and air quality

• DEQ news releases:
  • Sept. 12, 2011: Wildfires, shifting winds spread smoke through Oregon
  • Sept. 6, 2011: Smoke hits communities around Oregon
  • Sept. 2, 2011: Wildfire Smoke Expected from Portland to Medford
  • Aug. 30, 2011: DEQ Encourages Precautions Against Wildfire Smoke
• DEQ's Wildfire Air Quality Rating (WAQR): Current air quality conditions at monitors across the state. Information for these ratings is updated hourly.
• Using visibility to estimate health effects: If you do not live in a community with an air quality monitor or smoke moves in quickly, you can estimate local air quality visually and take the appropriate precautions.
• Wildfire smoke forecasts: The Oregon Department of Forestry provides forecasts of wildfire smoke levels.
• Tracking current wildfires: Department of Forestry's Wildfire Blog with up-to-date information on wildfires in Oregon.
• Northwest Interagency Coordination Center's fire map: Information on fires across the Northwest. Click on fire icons for detailed information about each fire.

Wildfire smoke and your health

Wildfire can be a significant source of air pollution in Oregon and can pose a major health risk. Symptoms from short-term smoke exposure can range from scratchy throat, cough, irritated sinuses, headaches, runny nose and stinging eyes. Persons with asthma, emphysema, congestive heart disease and other existing medical conditions can have more serious reactions. The elderly and children are also high-risk groups

Although relatively infrequent, wildfires can be unpredictable and result in severe short-term smoke impacts. This smoke is made up of primarily small particles, gases and water vapor, with trace amounts of hazardous air pollutants. The most harmful are the small particles, or particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (100 micrometers is the diameter of a human hair). These particles can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, damaging lung tissue and causing respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

Forest Fire Information and Health Effects of Smoke

• Natural Events Action Plan (NEAP) for Wildfire Smoke
• Health Effects From Exposure to Smoke- Bruce K. Hope Ph.D. PDF
• Basic Fire Meteorology - Joe Solomon, National Weather Service PDF
• Current Wildland Fire Information (National Interagency Fire Center)

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