The Washington State Department of Ecologyissued an air quality alert through 5 p.m. Wednesday for King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties due to
On Monday, the Washington State Department of Ecology issued an air quality alert through 5 p.m. Wednesday for King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties due to wildfire smoke.
Late Tuesday morning, the alert was expanded to include Mason and Grays Harbor counties, and extended until 5 p.m. on Thursday.
The view from a West Seattle fishing pier shows wildfires across the state have cast a wide haze over the city skyline.
"I was worried about the smoke coming out of Canada, but it’s really getting bad in eastern Washington," Eleanor Mitchell from Seattle said.
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is forecasting that by Tuesday, air quality would be considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
"It's a bit of an uncertain question for how much smoke will mix down into the surface. It would be a good idea to close your window," the Department of Ecology's Lead Air Quality Forecaster and Modeler Beth Friedman explained.
This comes as devastating wildfires ravage Canada, and as parts of Washington, including the Spokane Complex Fire that's burned hundreds of structures and forced tens of thousands of evacuations.
"I’ve been through this before and the smokiness- you can taste it. It makes my throat sore, dry," Mitchell added.
Alki Kayak Tours Owner Greg Whittaker said they'll keep an eye on conditions while making sure workers and customers stay healthy.
It is a really important time for the paddle sports industry to get people out here, so it’s a bit of a challenge that we’re going to face," Whittaker explained. "I’ve been thankful we’ve had the on-shore breezes but I’m just hoping for no wind and the firefighters to be safe out there.
University of Washington Professor of Environmental Chemistry Dan Jaffe explained people with health concerns and pre-existing conditions should reduce exposure by limiting time outside.
"You need to have air filtration inside your home. If it gets into the orange or the red, I definitely encourage people to wear N-95s if they’re outside for more than 10 or 15 minutes," he stated. "The next few days are going to be the worst in Seattle."
As of Monday, the Department of Ecology anticipated cleaner air by Friday with help from onshore winds.
The public should check with local fire and health departments to locate clean air shelters, if needed.
