The heat wave that has blanketed much of the Pacific Northwest – and northern Rockies – has brought with it fire. Wildfires have popped up throughout the northern states and western Canada, and where there is fire, there is smoke!
Yesterday western Washington experienced its first wildfire smoke event, though fortunately, that smoke stayed high up in the atmosphere – mostly above 10,000 feet elevation – but parts of eastern Washington did see ground-level smoke. The current smoke plume was generated by wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta. The high haze has largely cleared out of our western Washington skies and should further dissipate heading into the weekend.
While this current smoke event didn’t drop into our westside communities, it does remind us that these events can and will occur more frequently, and with less predictability. Therefore it makes sense to stay informed and be Smoke Ready for when the events do occur.
With that in mind, ORCAA joins with other air agencies and public health agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest on Smoke Ready Week – June 12-16, 2023. This week-long outreach event will feature daily news stories and social media posts highlight different aspects of staying Smoke Ready. Watch for our updates throughout that week on all social media channels and on this website.
You can also find Smoke Ready information here: Be Smoke Ready: Learn how to deal with smoke when it arrives – ORCAA
And to stay abreast of the latest updates in real-time, visit Washington Smoke Information (wasmoke.blogspot.com).
