Updated Noon MDT Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Valid through Noon MDT Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Smoke Outlook
Idaho DEQ has issued a Stage 1 Forecast and Caution the following areas:
· Camas and Blaine Counties – effective through Wednesday, August 28, at which time it will be re-evaluated and either extended or lifted.
Atlanta continues to be impacted by smoke from the Little Queens fire to the north. Air quality reached was Unhealthy yesterday. Today, air quality is expected to similar to yesterday. Air quality is worse in the morning and then improves to the good to moderate category during the afternoon and evening hours, before returning to Unhealthy. Atlanta is forecasted to be Unhealthy today.
Sensitive groups such as people with heart and/or lung disease, adults over age 65, young children, and pregnant women should avoid all outdoor activities until air quality improves. Everyone else should minimize outdoor activities. When air quality is in the hazardous category (visibility of less than 1 mile) everyone should stay indoors and avoid exertion.
Ketchum continues to experience air quality in the Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category in the morning before improving to good air quality by afternoon.
South-southeast winds are expected to transport smoke from the Little Queens fire north and produce light smoke impacts in the Central Idaho Mountains over to Salmon and western Montana today. Tonight, drainage smoke from the Little Queens and Kelley fires is forecast to enter the Lower Snake River Basin and produce light smoke over southeast Boise before clearing out by afternoon. Continued light to moderate smoke from the Rim fire in California is likely to impact Idaho along the Oregon-Idaho border before moving to the northeast across the Salmon River Mountains and across the Continental divide into Montana.
6 emergency monitors have been installed in Idaho to help monitor smoke impacts from wildfires:
· DEQ has installed monitors in Mountain Home, Fairfield, Ketchum, and east Boise. The information can be found at http://app.airsis.com/USFS/fleet.aspx
o Fairfield – #Idaho1000
o Mountain Home - #Idaho1002
o Ketchum - #Idaho1005
o Boise - #Idaho1003
· The USFS installed monitors in Atlanta and Challis. The information can be found at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/smoke.pl
o Atlanta monitor is Smoke#13
o Challis monitor is Smoke#21
o Users should be aware that the Forest Service site reports the data in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). To convert from UTS to Mountain Daylight Time, subtract 6 hours.
View DEQ near-real time monitoring at: http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov/
Smoke forecasts are dependent on predicted fire growth and weather. If conditions change unexpectedly, impacts could occur. When visibility starts to go below 5 miles, sensitive groups should minimize outdoor activities. Everyone else should minimize prolonged or physical activity outdoors. Refer to the Smoke and Health Tab on the Idaho Smoke Information Blog for additional health information.
Your eyes are your best tools to determine if it’s safe to be outside. Even if you smell smoke, the air quality may still be good.
| AQI Category | Visibility (miles) |
| Good | 11+ |
| Moderate | 6-10 |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 3-5 |
| Unhealthy | 1½ -2¾ |
| Very Unhealthy | 1-1¼ |
| Hazardous | Less than 1 |
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