News & Notices

Countywide restrictions are in place, effective Friday, June 30, until further notice. Recreational fires are prohibited, including backyard fire pits and campfires. Some devices with spark arrestors, like chimneas, are still allowed. Be sure to review the details here and contact us if you have any questions.

Summer is in full swing and so is the heat. As the temperature heats up, ground-level ozone pollution can increase. So what exactly is ozone and why should you care?

On many Fourth of July holidays, including yesterday, our Airway Heights air monitoring site measures high spikes of fine particle pollution (smoke) due to a nearby fireworks display. The smoke levels measured were so high that the 24-hour average (midnight to midnight) was still in the Unhealthy/Red range on the Air Quality Index (AQI). The…

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) just released a revised edition of the Washington Children and Youth Activities Guide for Air Quality. For more than six months DOH has worked alongside stakeholders to create improved guidance that will benefit children when air quality is compromised. The revised guide is now available on DOH’s Smoke…

Smoke is a complex mix of gases, compounds, and particles. Breathing smoky air can affect everyone’s health, however, some individuals are at greater risk. They include infants and children, adults 65 years old and older, and those with pre-existing health conditions.

Recreational fires include camp and cooking fires, backyard barbecues, chimneas and other patio warmers that burn charcoal, natural firewood, or manufactured logs and pellets. The fires are limited to private property and designated areas on public lands when restrictions are not in place.

Lots of yellow dots (moderate air quality) in our area as shown on this screenshot of EPA’s Fire and Smoke map. The Canadian wildfire smoke is affecting a large portion of the U.S. For the Spokane-area, hazy skies will stick around today as a ridge of high-pressure limits ventilation. A welcome change in wind patterns…

Wednesday, May 17th – A northerly flow is transporting some elevated fine smoke particles (PM-2.5) into the region from Canadian wildfires, adding a layer of haze to the partly cloudy skies. Most of the smoke is remaining aloft, but conditions may allow some of it to mix down to the surface as skies clear and…