Smoke blots out mountains, poses health risk for next few days

Smoke from wildfires clogged the sky across the U.S. West, blotting out mountains and city skylines from Oregon to Colorado, delaying flights and forcing authorities to tell even healthy adults in the Seattle area to stay indoors.

The National Weather Service in Seattle issued an air quality alert through 5 p.m. Wednesday for all of Western Washington because of smoke from large wildfires in British Columbia and on the east slopes of the north Cascades. Forecasters expect some relief and air circulation by late Wednesday. Nearly all air quality in Washington was listed as unhealthy or worse on Monday, with the Pacific coast the only exception.

As large cities dealt with unhealthy air for a second summer in a row, experts warn that it could become more common as the American West faces larger and more destructive wildfires because of heat and drought blamed on climate change. Officials also must prioritize resources during the longer firefighting season, so some blazes may be allowed to burn in unpopulated areas.

Seattle’s Space Needle has been swathed in haze, and it was impossible to see nearby mountains Monday. Portland, Oregon, residents who were up early saw a blood-red sun shrouded in smoke and huffed their way through another day of polluted air. Portland Public Schools suspended all outdoor sports practices.

Thick smoke in Denver blocked the view of some of Colorado’s famous mountains and prompted an air quality health advisory for the northeastern quarter of the state. The smoky pollution, even in Colorado, came from wildfires in British Columbia and the Cascades.

Portland resident Zach Simon supervised a group of children in a summer biking camp who paused at a huge water fountain by the Willamette River, where gray, smoky haze obscured a view of Mount Hood. Simon said he won’t let the kids ride as far or take part in as many running games like tag while the air quality is bad.

“I went biking yesterday, and I really felt it in my lungs, and I was really headachy and like, lethargic,” Simon said Monday. “Today, biking, you can see the whole city in haze and you can’t see the skyline.”

In Colorado, Sid Vaughn, who works at a Boulder shoe store called the Boulder Running Co., did his usual 9-mile run Monday despite the smoke.

“It didn’t feel that great to my lungs,” he said.

Forest fires are common, but typical Seattle-area weather pushes it out of the way quickly. The latest round of prolonged smoke happened as hot temperatures and high pressure collided, said Andrew Wineke, a spokesman for the state Ecology Department’s air quality program.

It’s a rare occurrence that also happened last year, raising concerns for many locals that it may become normal during wildfire season. Wineke said climate change is expected to contribute to many more fires.

“The trend is clear. You see the number of forest fires increasing, and so there’s going to be wildfires,” Wineke said. “There’s going to be smoke. It’s going to be somewhere.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said airplanes bound for the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport may be delayed because of low visibility.

In Spokane, air quality slipped into the “hazardous” range. Thick haze hung over Washington’s second-largest city, forcing vehicles to turn on their headlights during the morning commute.

The air quality was so bad that everyone, regardless of physical condition or age, will likely be affected, according to the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency.

The haze caused Gonzaga and Eastern Washington universities to cancel soccer matches Sunday, and Spokane to delay some garbage service until Tuesday to protect workers.

In California, winds blew smoke from several wildfires into the San Francisco Bay Area, where hazy air blanketed the skies and authorities issued an air quality advisory through Tuesday.

Health officials say signs of smoke-related health symptoms include coughing, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, stinging eyes and runny nose. Those with heart disease may experience chest pain, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath and fatigue.

Children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory illnesses are most at risk of serious health effects. For current air quality conditions, health precautions, and additional information on wildland fire smoke, visit the Washington Smoke Blog at http://wasmoke.blogspot.com.

In Portland, six tourists from Lincoln, Nebraska, posed for a photo in front of the Willamette River with the usual Mount Hood backdrop shrouded in haze. The group of siblings and friends rented an RV and drove in to visit a sister who recently moved to the area.

“We are disappointed that we can’t see the mountains and the whole city, because our relatives live here and tell us how pretty it is, and we’re missing it,” Bev Harris said. “We’re from tornado alley, and we don’t have wildfires. It’s a different experience.”

This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 4:15 PM.