Northwest fires create hazardous air conditions

A massive smoke cloud covered Washington with heavy smoke over the weekend

A supermassive cloud of smoke blanketed parts of the Pacific Northwest over the weekend, leaving many areas in the 'hazardous' air quality range. Fires are still raging across Washington, Oregon, and California, creating a plume that meteorologists expect to hang around for a while.

The fire season has been fueled by an unusually dry, hot summer, with the last measurable rain dating back to July, which measured less than a tenth of an inch in Dayton.

More than a dozen fires still burn across Eastern Washington as of Tuesday.

The Babb-Malden and Manning Fires, which devastated the Malden and Pine City communities, has scorched over 18,000 acres as of Tuesday. The Manning Fire, the smaller of the two, is 90 percent contained. Babb-Malden, the larger of the two fires, is less than 50 percent contained. Both fires remain under investigation.

The Whitney Fire, burning in Lincoln County, has burned more than 125,000 acres and is 65 percent contained. A cold front expected for this week could bring rain that would help fight the blaze and give residents and firefighters a break from the heavy smoke. As of Tuesday, September 15, there has still been no rain and little relief from the smoke.

The Cold Springs and Pearl Hill fires, which started September 6 near Okanogan and Bridgeport respectively, have burned nearly half a million acres between them. The Cold Springs Fire is approximately halfway contained, and the Pearl Hill fire is mostly contained.

A fire caused by lightning broke out in the Umatilla National Forest in August, approximately 20 miles south of Pomeroy. The fire was within the 2006 Columbia Complex scar and is expected to be fully contained by September 25. No structures are involved, and the fire activity is minimal. Fire line construction and suppression repair work continues, and temporary road, trail, and area closures surrounding the fire remain in effect. Forest service road (FSR) 47 and FSR 4620 are open to the Little Tucannon Bridge. FSR 47 remains closed from the bridge up to the intersection with FSR 4712 and FSR 4713, which both remain closed.

To stay up to date with fires in the Northwest, visit http://www.inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Air quality levels in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties continue to bounce back and forth between 'very unhealthy' and 'hazardous.' Health officials are urging folks to remain indoors unless necessary- something we are a little too used to this year. As of Monday, Walla Walla's air quality sat at 324 (hazardous), and Dayton was at 201 (very unhealthy), according to the Department of Ecology.

Wildfire smoke is particularly problematic for those with lung diseases such as COPD or asthma, and people with active respiratory infections like acute bronchitis. Those suffering from heart or circulatory problems like dysrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and coronary heart disease, as well as those with a prior history of stroke or heart attack, are likely to have health problems from breathing smoke. Children under the age of 18 are at risk of health problems with heavy smoke cover as their lungs are still developing, and they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults. Pregnant women, adults over the age of 65, people with diabetes, and people who smoke are also in the 'at-risk' group.

Weather patterns over the next couple of days look hopeful through the foreseeable future, with no hot, dry winds expected for at least a week. The air quality is likely to improve over the next week, though smoke will continue to linger.

To stay up to date with air quality conditions in the Walla Walla Valley, visit http://www.wasmoke.blogspot.com.