Smoke from British Columbia has blown into the North Olympic Peninsula, causing air quality to drop to unhealthy and unhealthy for sensitive groups for most of the Peninsula on Thursday.
Smoke started to be noticeable along the Peninsula on Thursday morning, and air quality sensors around the Peninsula ranged from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy, with many climbing into the category for unhealthy for sensitive groups by late afternoon.
The National Weather Service released an air quality alert for Clallam and Jefferson counties on Thursday through 7 p.m. Saturday, warning of air quality reaching unhealthy levels for sensitive groups.
Northwest and Olympic Clean Air Agencies are recommending residents stay home and limit outdoor activities when possible, according to the alert.
Mary Butwin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Seattle. said the hope is that smoke levels will start decreasing Saturday, but that depends on wind direction and wildfire activity in Washington, Oregon and California.
The smoke is primarily from fires burning in the southern parts of British Columbia, Canada, Butwin said.
As of mid-afternoon Thursday, air quality in Jefferson County ranged from moderate in Port Townsend to unhealthy near the Port Hadlock/Discovery Bay/South County areas, according to AirNow.
Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and those who may be pregnant.
“Folks may also be able to smell smoke, but they should check the actual air quality readings to see what the exact level might be,” said Willie Bence, Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management director, in a county Facebook post Thursday afternoon.
“However, even if the levels are low, they should still listen to their body, and if it’s making it hard to breathe, especially if they have respiratory issues, they should limit outdoor activity or head inside,” he added.
“N95s or P100 respirators help if the individual must remain outdoors.”
Late afternoon had Sequim listed in the unhealthy range, the highest air quality index (AQI) listed at 163 near Sequim Bay, with other areas listed as unhealthy, according to AirNow.
Areas from Port Angeles to the Makah Indian Reservation were listed in the unhealthy for sensitive groups range as of Thursday afternoon, with an AQI of more than 100, according to AirNow.
Smoke could lower the temperature, which is predicted to be the high 80s or low 90s today and Saturday. But it is difficult to predict those temperatures because of how rapidly smoke density can change, Butwin said.
“In general, the thicker the smoke is, the more effect it will have on highs,” she said.
Butwin shared the same recommendations as the Jefferson County alert, saying people should take it easy outside and monitor smoke levels in order to know the proper precautions.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
