Whatcom County air quality worsens to very unhealthy range by mid-day Sunday
Widespread smoke is expected to remain in Whatcom County Sunday, Sept. 13, according to the National Weather Service. Showers that will help clear the are likely by late Monday night into Tuesday, according to its weather forecast.
Until then, wildfire smoke will leave Whatcom County air in the unhealthy category.
The COVID-19 testing scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Sept. 14, at Civic Field in Bellingham was canceled Sunday afternoon by Whatcom Unified Command, according to a county news release. It said the afternoon testing is still planned, pending improved air quality. It directed people with morning appointments to the TestDirectly.com website to reschedule.
Shortly before noon Sunday monitors showed Bellingham’s air quality index at 203 for particle pollution, in the very unhealthy area with extremely small particles that can harm the heart and lungs.
The Northwest Clean Air Agency blog Sunday reported “this morning’s satellite images show where the silver lining is, and how the vertical smoke column over Washington is thinning. Ground-level smoke is not going to erode as fast as we’d like, however. It will be Monday before much of western Washington and the central and northcentral foothills of the Cascades see substantial relief.”
The agency’s monitors showed poor air quality for Whatcom County locations at 6 a.m. Sunday:
▪ Bellingham: Unhealthy for particulate matter with an index of 191, down from Saturday’s very unhealthy rating of 283.
▪ Custer-Loomis: Unhealthy for particulate matter with an index of 196.
▪ Maple Falls: Unhealthy for particulate matter with an index of 194.
Very unhealthy air index numbers remain in the Portland area and in eastern Washington and Idaho.
According to the World Air Quality Index project:
▪ Unhealthy air quality, with an index of 151-200, means everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
▪ Very unhealthy air quality, with an index of 201-300, means health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.
▪ Hazardous air quality, with an index of more than 300, means health alert where everyone may experience more serious health effects and everyone should avoid all outdoor exertion.
The state Department of Health warns that “breathing in wildfire smoke can cause symptoms that are relatively minor, such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, and also more dangerous symptoms like wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.:
You can protect yourself from smoky air by staying inside and keeping your indoor air clean, according to the health department. It suggests:
▪ “Close windows and doors when it’s smoky outside, and open windows to let in fresh air during times when there’s better air quality outside.
▪ “Set air conditioners to re-circulate.
▪ “Avoid burning candles/incense, smoking, broiling/frying foods, and vacuuming, as these can add to indoor pollution.
▪ “Use a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter.
▪ “Build your own box fan filter.”
Burn bans in effect
Officials at the Northwest Clean Air Agency continued a “stage two” burn ban that outlaws all outside fires, including recreational fires and campfires, in Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties.
Fire officials in Whatcom County and the cities of Bellingham and Ferndale issued similar burn bans Wednesday.
Propane and charcoal barbecues and propane fire pits without wood are allowed, however.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 issued a ban on open burning for all tribal reservations in Oregon and Washington because of the smoke.
Whatcom County officials closed the Plantation Rifle Range because they feared sparking a wildfire.
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 8:03 AM.
