Air Quality

Air Quality Report and Outlook for 9/21/14

Despite the very warm temperatures Saturday, firefighters continued to make good progress on mop up of the fire which continues to smolder in the punky logs and organic material on the forest floor. Saturday throughout most of the day, the air quality in Oakridge and Westfir was “GOOD”. Saturday evening smoke moved through the Westfir/ Deception Creek drainage causing “Unhealthy” conditions for a period of about 4 hours.

For today, Sunday, there is some uncertainty as to how quickly the inversion will lift. Temperatures will be warm, but not as warm as Saturday. Winds will be light and out of the west to northwest, pushing any smoke in an east to southeasterly direction. Throughout the day, hazy skies are forecasted lasting 1-4 hours, off & on. However, “Moderate” to “Good” air quality conditions should prevail. Night time down drainage flows will bring residual smoke into the Westfir/Deception Creek area again tonight and in the early morning hours. Expecting rain mid-week.

Smoke forecasts are dependent on predicted fire growth and weather. If conditions change unexpectedly, impacts could occur.

Deception Complex Smoke Report (prepared by Claudia Standish, Air Resource Advisor)

Air Quality Forecast for Thursday (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter)

Site	Sunday Morning  Sept. 21, 2014	Sunday Afternoon  Sept. 21, 2014	Sunday Evening  Sept. 21, 2014
Oakridge	Good	Good	Good
Westfir (@the Deception Creek Drainage)	Good to Moderate	Good to Moderate	Moderate to Unhealthy

AQI Index (µg/m3)	Potential Health Impacts	Actions to Protect Yourself
Good (0-12)	Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk.	None
Moderate (13-35)	Air quality is acceptable for most. There may be moderate health concern for a small number of sensitive people.	Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (36-55)	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.	People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.  Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.
Unhealthy (56-150)	Everyone may begin to experience more serious health effects.	The following groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity: People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
Very Unhealthy (151-250)	Triggers a health alert, meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects	Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors.

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For more information see the Oregon Smoke blog: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com

Air Quality data can be viewed at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/aqi/index.aspx