Breathe deep while you can — Whatcom skies likely to fill with smoke yet again

Don’t put away your face masks and those box fans jury-rigged with furnace filters, because the wildfire smoke is coming back.

Soon.

“Probably even Saturday, even tomorrow,” said Kirby Cook, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle.

“It’s important to remember that all the fires that were burning last week — they’re still there, they’re not out,” Cook said.

A change in wind direction to an onshore flow late Wednesday brought cooler, cleaner air from the Pacific Ocean that scoured the smoke from the Puget Sound region Thursday, where it had caused several days of air quality alerts and prompted a ban on outside fires.

But winds are expected to turn again, carrying smoke from hundreds of fires in British Columbia toward Western Washington.

Even as winds remained southerly on Friday morning, Whatcom County’s air quality worsened from “good” into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range.

“It moved back in a lot faster than I would have thought,” said Seth Preston, spokesman for the Northwest Clean air Agency.

Preston said the ban on outdoor burning continues as officials assess the situation daily.

Although charcoal grills and propane stoves aren’t part of the ban, he said their use is discouraged during the smoke emergency.

Cook said that cooler temperatures and a weather system that brings a chance of rain through this weekend could keep the smoke from getting a bad as it did Tuesday and Wednesday, when it hovered at “unhealthy” levels and entered “hazardous” territory for several hours, according to Northwest Clean Air Agency measuring stations.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be quite as bad,” Cook said.

But it’s a pattern that could continue for several weeks, because the Puget Sound region is surrounded by wildfires from the north, east and south — including those on Vancouver Island, mainland B.C., eastern Washington and in the Olympics.

“I don’t think the smoke is going away until the fires go out,” Cook said. “That will be October, when the rains start.”

He said periodic weather systems will bring rain and and wind from the Pacific to ease the smoke.

“We’re just going to have smoke to varying degrees until the fires are out,” Cook said.

If there’s a bright side to the smoky weather pattern, it’s that the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is showing a higher chance of below-normal temperatures over the next week to 10 days.

August temperatures have been running about 5 degrees higher than the normal high of 71.9 degrees, including two days of record-high temperatures this week.

Local state parks are seeing fewer visitors during what is usually the Northwest’s most gorgeous time of the year.

“Day use is definitely affected,” said Ranger Amber Forest, who manages Larrabee and Birch Bay state parks in Whatcom County.

“People don’t want to go hiking in this stuff,” she said.

But summer visitors were still flocking to the Mount Baker area last week in hopes that the smoke was less of a problem at the higher mountain elevations.

“It’s been worse up high,” said Magenta Widner, a forestry technician at the U.S. Forest Service station in Glacier.

“From Artist Point, you can’t see Mount Baker or Mount Shuksan, and you can barely see Table Mountain,” Widner said.

State Health tips

The Washington State Department of Health offers tips to deal with smoky conditions.

How can I tell if smoke is affecting my family?

Smoke can cause coughing, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, stinging eyes, and runny nose.

If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse.

People who have heart disease might experience chest pain, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, and fatigue.

If you have a pre-existing respiratory condition such as asthma, COPD (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema), or allergies, smoke may worsen symptoms (inability to breathe normally, cough with or without mucus, chest discomfort, wheezing, and shortness of breath).

When smoke levels are high, even healthy people can have symptoms or health problems.

Contact your health care provider if you have heart or lung problems when around smoke. Dial 911 for emergency assistance if symptoms are serious.

What can I do to protect myself and my family from outdoor smoke?

Avoid physical exertion outdoors if smoke is in the air.

If you have asthma or other lung diseases, make sure you follow your doctor’s directions about taking your medicines and follow your asthma management plan. Call your health care provider if your symptoms worsen.

Stay indoors and keep indoor air as clean as possible. Take the following steps when indoors:

▪ Keep windows and doors closed. Track the air quality and open your windows for fresh air when the air quality improves. Pay attention to the heat indoors and follow guidance in the section below if it’s too hot.

▪ Run an air conditioner, set it to re-circulate and close the fresh-air intake. Make sure to change the filter regularly.

▪ Use an air cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to reduce indoor air pollution. A HEPA filter will reduce the number of irritating fine particles in indoor air. A HEPA filter with charcoal will help remove some of the gases from the smoke. Do not use an air cleaner that produces ozone.

▪ Don’t add to indoor pollution. Don’t use food boilers, candles, incense, fireplaces, or gas stoves. Don’t vacuum unless your vacuum has a HEPA filter, because vacuuming stirs up particles already inside your home. Don’t smoke, because smoking puts even more pollution into the air.

▪ Consider leaving the area if the air quality is poor and it’s not possible to keep indoor air clean, especially if you or those you are caring for are having health problems or are in a sensitive group. See section above titled, who is especially sensitive to smoke.

Should I exercise when it’s smoky?

Exercise is very important for health. When you exercise your air intake is increased, which means inhaling more pollution when the air quality is bad.

Avoid outdoor exercise when air quality is in the Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, or Hazardous categories.

When the air quality is in the Very Unhealthy or Hazardous categories, consider the indoor air quality and consider limiting indoor exercise.

If you are sensitive to smoke, you should limit your activities when air quality is in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category. People with asthma and lung and heart conditions may be very sensitive to poor air quality and may start to have symptoms when air quality is in the Moderate category and they should consider reducing indoor and outdoor activities.

This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 7:53 AM.