OLYMPIA — The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency asked Tuesday that residents of East Clallam County voluntarily curtail outdoor burning and fireplace use unless absolutely necessary.
Air pollution levels — specifically fine particulate matter — PM 2.5 — remained elevated in the portion of Clallam County east of the Elwha River even while winds swept the rest of Western Washington and cleared an inversion layer that had trapped stagnent air since late last week, according to Dan Nelson, spokesman for ORCAA, in a press release.
The prevailing southern winds that cleared the rest of the region’s air were blocked by the Olympic Mountains, leaving Port Angeles and Sequim in a pocket of stagnant air, he said.
Same until next week?
The situation may stay the same until the weekend, he said.
Meanwhile cold overnight temperatures, and chilly days, mean more residents are using their wood stoves and fireplaces to heat their homes, Nelson noted.
ORCAA requested that those do not need to burn refrain from doing so until the weather pattern changes.
Burning wood creates smoke composed of fine and very fine particulate matter and can cause breathing problems, sometimes substantially increase the severity of existing lung disease, such as asthma.
In addition to minimizing the use of wood stoves and fireplaces, ORCAA asked homeowners to use alternative means of disposal to clean up their yards.
Details available
Details about alternatives to burning — such as chipping and composting — can be found at www.orcaa.org .
Burning trash is always illegal.
