Wildfire smoke from more than 30 fires burning across Oregon is rolling into the Willamette Valley on Monday, August 3, bringing Air Quality Index readings forecast to hit "unhealthy" levels across the region through midweek, with near-100-degree heat compounding the danger.
The National Weather Service says easterly winds are carrying smoke from fires east of the Cascades into western Oregon for the first time this season.
AQI readings across the upper Willamette Valley are forecast to reach 167 by Monday evening, hold in the 150s through Tuesday, August 4, then climb into the 180s late Wednesday, August 5, into Thursday, according to The Oregonian.
Any reading above 150 is classified "unhealthy" for everyone, not just sensitive groups.
A heat advisory takes effect at noon Tuesday and runs through Wednesday evening for the Willamette Valley, including Salem, KPTV reported.
Wednesday is forecast to be the hottest day, with a 50% chance Salem hits 100°F, according to the Statesman Journal. Overnight lows will only drop into the 60s, offering little relief.
The heat makes the smoke worse. High temperatures trap particulate matter near the surface, keeping air quality degraded even after sundown.
"I would expect some degradation of air quality, but I don't know by how much at this point," National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Kranz told the Statesman Journal on Sunday, August 2, before the smoke arrived.
What to do
Marion County Public Health advises residents to keep doors and windows closed, run air-conditioning on recirculate, and use HEPA or electrostatic precipitator filters indoors.
The county warns that standard hardware-store masks are not effective at filtering wildfire smoke particles.
People with asthma should have a written management plan and ensure they have more than five days of medication on hand, the county says.
When the Oregon Health Authority issued statewide smoke guidance on July 25, OHA Environmental Public Health Section manager Gabriela Goldfarb warned that PM 2.5 particles in wildfire smoke can decrease lung function, aggravate asthma, and cause heart attacks, particularly in people with chronic conditions, older adults, children, and outdoor workers.
When does it end?
Conditions should begin improving by the evening of Thursday, August 6, or Friday, August 7, when a weather pattern shift is expected to push the smoke out and cool temperatures into the lower 90s and upper 80s.
Resources
Oregon's 24/7 wildfire support hotline: 1-833-699-0554. Residents can also dial 211 for wildfire and clean air information. Current air quality readings for Salem are available at the Oregon Smoke Blog (oregonsmoke.org) and the free OregonAIR app.
No Salem or Marion County cooling center announcements had been made as of Monday, August 3. Residents needing relief from the heat should call 211 for the latest information on available facilities.
