Local News

Okanogan County Air Quality Public Health Advisory

Aug 08, 2018

Okanogan County Public Health (OCPH) has issued an air advisory as a result of wildfire smoke effecting the air quality in Okanogan County and the North Central Washington area. The smoke is not expected to clear in the near future keeping the air quality between moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups and unhealthy for all groups. OCPH endorses statewide smoke recommendations and encourages the public to take precautions. OCPH has N-95 masks available for the public at: 1234 So. 2^nd Ave., Okanogan

Poor air quality and wildfire smoke can impact people with asthma and other lung diseases, as well as children and older adults. Levels of pollutants that may not affect healthy people may cause breathing difficulties for these people.

To reduce the risks to vulnerable individuals, OCPH recommends the following:

• If it looks smoky outside, it is probably not a good time for any outdoor activities.

OCPH is encouraging all coaches to check the visibility and the quality of air before hosting outdoor practices/ activities and to seek opportunities to move practices/ activities indoors.

• Minimize the use of indoor air pollutants such as candles, incense, and wood burning stoves.

• Routinely check on children, the elderly and friends and family who have breathing problems when outdoor air quality is unhealthy.

An N95 or P100 mask that is properly fitted and worn correctly may provide some protection against outdoor wildfire smoke, a dust or surgical mask will NOT protect you from the fine particles present in wildfire smoke.

To help protect you and your family, you can make personal observations to determine outdoor air quality in your immediate surroundings.

• Face away from the sun.

• Determine the limit of your visibility range by looking at targets at known distances (miles).

• The visible range is the point at which even high-contrast objects (e.g. a dark building or nearby mountain viewed against the sky at noon) totally disappear.

• After determining visibility in miles, use the table below to identify potential health effects and appropriate cautionary activities.

Helpful web sites:

• Washington Smoke Information

• National Weather Service Western Region

• Frequently Asked Questions about Smoke

• Department of Ecology Resource

For any other questions, please feel free to call Okanogan County Public Health at: 509-422-7140