Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Fire and Air Quality Map

The map above shows current fires and air quality at monitors around the state. The colors indicate Air Quality Index (AQI) health levels. The numbers you see when clicking on an icon are PM 2.5 concentrations, not AQI levels. For AQI numbers, visit DEQ's AQI or download the free OregonAir app for Android or iPhone. Round icons represent permanent air quality monitors, triangular icons represent temporary monitors (when deployed).

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Air quality advisory through Wednesday for Southern Oregon and parts of Central Oregon

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Tuesday for Southern Oregon and south Central Oregon due to smoke from fires in Oregon and California.

** Información en español **

The following areas are affected:
  • Josephine, Jackson, Klamath and Lake counties through Wednesday.
  • Crook and Jefferson counties through Wednesday (intermittent smoke).
DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in these areas.

Although air quality has improved across much of the state since last week, areas near active fires, such as Cave Junction and Detroit, may continue to have smoke impacts.

Health officials encourage people to open up windows and begin clearing out their indoor air once smoke levels have dropped into moderate (yellow) and good (green) categories.

Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions by visiting the Oregon Smoke Information Blog , downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone, or going to on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now.

Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. Young children, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions are most at risk.

Protect your health when smoke levels are high:
  • Avoid outdoor activities and stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed. Being indoors is safer than outdoors during periods of poor air quality.
  • Be aware of smoke in your area and avoid places with the highest levels.
  • Use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. These can be portable filters or can be installed in indoor heating, ventilation, cooling and air purification systems. You can also create your own air purifying filter by following these easy DIY air filter instructions .
  • If you have heart or lung disease or asthma, follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
Cloth, dust and surgical masks don’t protect from the harmful particles in smoke. N95 respirators that are tested to ensure proper fit and that are worn correctly may provide protection. Otherwise, they might just provide a false sense of security. They are not available in children’s sizes and are not recommended for strenuous activities. N95 respirators are in limited supply due to COVID-19. Additional information on wildfire smoke and COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control webpage.

Emergency managers are discouraging travel to lessen the spread of COVID-19 while allowing firefighters and other emergency crews to remain focused on wildfire. Relief from wildfire smoke should be coming soon to most parts of Oregon.

DEQ’s color-coded Air Quality Index provides current air quality conditions and ranks air quality as follows: Green is good. Yellow is moderate. Orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, seniors, pregnant women and those with respiratory conditions. Red is unhealthy for everyone. Purple is very unhealthy for everyone. Maroon is hazardous.

Several highways and roads are closed around Oregon. Check TripCheck for the latest information.

Media contact: Dylan Darling, Oregon DEQ, 541-686-7997, dylan.darling@deq.state.or.us
or Harry Esteve, Oregon DEQ, 503-951-3856, harry.esteve@deq.state.or.us

Local contacts:
Josephine County: Jason Roberts, jroberts@co.josephine.or.us, 541-474-5151
Jackson County: Tanya Phillips, PhilliTF@jacksoncounty.org
Klamath County: Valeree Lane, vlane@klamathcounty.org
Lake County: Judy Clarke, jclarke@co.lake.or.us
Crook County: Vicky Ryan, vryan@h.co.crook.or.us
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs: Tim Outman, tim.outman@ctwsbnr.org
The Klamath Tribes: Zak Jackson, zakary.jackson@klamathtribes.com, 541-783-2219, ext. 184

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Monday, September 21, 2020

Wildfire smoke outlooks for Oregon | Pronósticos de humo para Oregón


Find the latest smoke outlooks from the U.S. Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program for fires in Oregon. 

Outlooks are updated daily at the links below:


*Outlooks are produced by Air Resource Advisors deployed to active fires by the U.S. Forest Service. For this reason, outlooks are not available for every area of the state.
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Sunday, September 20, 2020

Update for Sunday, Sept. 20: Some areas still affected by smoke

 

As DEQ monitors air quality across Oregon, we are seeing some areas (Roseburg, Eugene, Mill City, and Cave Junction) that continue to be affected by residual smoke. While we anticipate improvement throughout the day for many of these areas, communities nearby active fires may continue to have smoke impacts throughout the remainder of the day. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone, or going to on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now.

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Friday, September 18, 2020

Air quality advisory extended through Saturday for Northwest, Central, Eastern and some parts of Southern Oregon

 The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality extended an air quality advisory through Saturday for Northwest, Central, Eastern and some parts of Southern Oregon due to smoke from fires in Oregon and California. 

** Información en español ** 

Smoke is beginning to clear out of the I-5 corridor. Portland and Salem areas were still at the unhealthy  levels Friday morning, but should continue to improve throughout the day. The Columbia River Gorge, Central Oregon and Eastern Oregon are still in unhealthy to hazardous levels, but should start clearing out Saturday morning. Some communities in Southern Oregon, including Cave Junction and Provolt, are getting smoke from the Slater Fire, and may remain in unhealthy or hazardous levels through Saturday or longer. 

Areas nearby active fires may continue to have smoke impacts. 

Health officials encourage people to open up windows and begin clearing out their indoor air once smoke levels have dropped into moderate (yellow) and good (green) categories. 

Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions by visiting the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone, or going to on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now. 

Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. Young children, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions are most at risk. 

Protect your health when smoke levels are high: 
  • Avoid outdoor activities and stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed.
  • Be aware of smoke in your area and avoid places with the highest levels.
  • Use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. These can be portable filters or can be installed in indoor heating, ventilation, cooling and air purification systems. You can also create your own air purifying filter by following these easy DIY air filter instructions.
  • Check with your local health department or this 211 list to see if they have community clean air shelters set up where people can get temporary relief from the smoke.
  • If you have heart or lung disease or asthma, follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
Cloth, dust and surgical masks don’t protect from the harmful particles in smoke. N95 respirators that are tested to ensure proper fit and that are worn correctly may provide protection. Otherwise, they might just provide a false sense of security. They are not available in children’s sizes and are not recommended for strenuous activities. N95 respirators are in limited supply due to COVID-19. Additional information on wildfire smoke and COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control webpage. 

Emergency managers are discouraging travel to lessen the spread of COVID-19 while allowing firefighters and other emergency crews to remain focused on wildfire. Relief from wildfire smoke should be coming soon to most parts of Oregon.

DEQ’s color-coded Air Quality Index provides current air quality conditions and ranks air quality as follows: Green is good. Yellow is moderate. Orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, seniors, pregnant women and those with respiratory conditions. Red is unhealthy for everyone. Purple is very unhealthy for everyone. Maroon is hazardous. 

Find more information: Oregon Smoke Blog 

Several highways and roads are closed around Oregon. Check TripCheck for the latest information. 

Media contact: Laura Gleim, Oregon DEQ, 503-577-3697, laura.gleim@deq.state.or.us or Harry Esteve, Oregon DEQ, 503-951-3856, esteve.harry@deq.state.or.us
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