Wildfire season winding down - One new fire burning

It's been awhile since we've had any major new wildfire activity so I'm sure you've noticed the lack of smoke postings here. As the wildfire season is winding down, I want you to know that we will continue to post information if there is a major new fire that pops up but that otherwise, I won't be maintaining this page until the 2019 wildfire season.

With that in mind, there is one new fire burning up in the Frank Church Wilderness area. It was reported September 25th and has burned over 7,000 acres so far on steep, inaccessible terrain. The smoke impacts aren't widespread like when the wildfire season is in full swing.

The Salmon Challis National Forest office had this to say late last night:

"The fire is burning in timber, brush, and tall grass, in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in steep, inaccessible terrain.  The fire is burning in the Prospect Creek and Morehead Creek drainages and has crossed to the east of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River burning towards Big Soldier Mountain.  Fire activity moderated today.....

Fire resources are working to inform forest visitors in the area of the fire.  Officials on the Salmon-Challis National Forest have implemented an Emergency Road and Recreation Site Closure #04-13-18-610 for the Prospect Fire.  The following are closed:

Forest Road 568 (the Boundary Creek Road) is closed at the Camp Tender Trailhead, which is approximately 3 miles north of the Junction of Forest Roads 579 and 568 at Bruce Meadows.  Dagger Falls Campground, Boundary Creek Campground, and Boundary Creek Boat Launch are closed.

These closures are necessary to provide protection to forest visitors from the current fire safety hazards associated with the Prospect Fire.

Weather:  Scattered showers this evening will dissipate by 10pm. Drier weather is expected Monday, but critical fire weather conditions are not expected.  Additional showers arrive Tuesday with a system that will bring cooler and wetter weather for the remainder of the week."

Wildfire Smoke and Your Health - Air Quality

Welcome back! We’ve spent several days talking about pollutants and how to avoid them. Now let’s talk about how we at the Department of Environmental Quality keep track of them and provide you with the results.

Throughout the Great State of Idaho we have 30 air quality monitoring stations. Twenty of them take real time measurements of air contaminants. The other ten use integrated sampling methods to get their measurements. Bet you want to know what we measure? I got ya covered. We measure:

• ·       Particulate Matter (remember that from a few days ago?)
• ·       Carbon Monoxide (keeps your blood from getting all the oxygen it can)
• ·       Nitrogen Dioxide (when exposed to sunlight this will create ozone)
• ·       Sulfur Dioxide (harmful to the respiratory system and contributes to “haze” in the sky)
• ·       Ozone (not the good kind of ozone –the EPA’s motto is “good up high, bad nearby.” It is the main ingredient in smog and makes breathing difficult.)

We use these measurements to issue a daily Air Quality Index value and to determine if we need to issue warnings to the public (like this blog!) or keep people from burning outdoors and contributing even more pollutants. We also use them to keep track of pollution trends and which areas of the state are meeting air quality standards. We have lots of resources on our website so that you can get real time air quality data. Check them out sometime.

So, after all this time, what’s the take away? Smoke is bad. Tiny little particulate matter can give you serious health problems. VOCs in smoke might give you a headache and stinging eyes[MB1] . VOCs in very high concentrations can cause considerable more health problems. We constantly record data and issue results and warnings as needed so you can protect yourself from smoke.

If you have any questions, send us a message. I’ll also make one more plug for our friends at Idaho Health and Welfare. Have a gander at their site if you have health specific questions and have a go at our website if you have environmental questions.

Thanks everyone! Stay safe out there - metaphorically “out there” not actually outside – at least not when it’s smoky! When it is, I suggest you stay indoors where there is a good filter in the ventilation system. Also a piece of common sense advice – close the windows and doors. Every time you open them, you let in the smoke!

Wildfire Smoke and Your Health - Filters

Alright! You did it. You are hanging in there. Let’s get to it.

Last time, I suggested you get a better filter for your HVAC. You’re probably thinking “that’s great, but how do I know what filter to choose?” Well, here’s a very quick primer. Air filters are rated using the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV).  Basically, the higher the MERV number, the smaller the particle that the filter can catch. For our purposes, the minimum MERV that removes fine particulates from smoke is MERV 13. If you wanna “go big or go home” though, a MERV 17 will get you HEPA levels of removal. Know that a MERV 13 can be effective at removing the fine particulates IF you are recirculating the air through the filter over and over and over. The more times it passes through, the cleaner it will be. Of course, they are so efficient that they will need to be changed frequently thanks to all the stuff that’s accumulating. Here’s a chart to help you understand the MERV rating a little bit better:

MERV Rating	Dust Spot Efficiency	Controlled Contaminant	Typical Setting Used
20	n/a	Small than 0.03 pm particulate size	Cleanrooms
17	n/a	All combustion smoke
15	>95%	Bacteria	Hospitals
13	89-90%	Sneeze droplets	Superior commercial buildings
8	30-35%	3.0-10.0 pm particulate size	Commercial buildings
3	<20%	Dust mites, sanding dust	Residential

http://www.mechreps.com/PDF/Merv_Rating_Chart.pdf

As you can see, upgrading from the typical factory installed filter to higher rating will get you significant improvements in catching the concerning materials in smoke. The last thing I’ll say about MERV filters is that you should probably have a talk with your HVAC technician first. Not all the systems out there can handle a filter with a higher rated MERV. And blowing out your unit would ruin all the work you were trying to do.

Alright, we’ve covered what the pollutants in smoke are and why they aren’t good for you. We’ve covered what you can do to protect yourself. Next time let’s talk about how we measure these pollutants and where you can find that information. As always, go to Idaho Health and Welfare’s site for any more health concerns. You can also find some good links under the “Smoke and Health” tab up top. Take care and see you soon!

Wildfire Smoke and Your Health - Protect Yourself

Hey! There you are. You came back. You are so dedicated to your health. Good for you. Today we’ll talk about how you can protect yourself from the smoke nasties.

Start by having a good look at your AC or air ventilation system. If you’ve got central air already, it may be as easy as upgrading your filter. Once you’ve done that, run your AC on the “recirculate” mode if you can so that it’s not bringing in more smoky air. If you don’t have AC, you may be able to run the fan with the heat off so that it’s still pushing through that nice new filter you bought.

Can’t do any of that? Or maybe you can but you want to make sure you are getting rid of as much particulates and VOCs as you can? Get a room air purifier with HEPA filtration and set it up in the room where you spend the most of your time. Don’t forget to take it to the bedroom when you sleep – you’ll breathe better AND be lulled to sleep by the white noise. You’re welcome.

A word of caution: the purifier needs to be sized appropriately for the room you are in. Ideally, it should be circulating the air 2-3 times an hour. If it doesn’t, you probably won’t see a big difference. When you go out to shop for an air purifier, be cautious. Some will say “HEPA-like.” They aren’t the same thing as a true HEPA filter and won’t be as effective. Also, make sure you don’t get a purifier that’s producing ozone. That’s another pollutant and also harmful to your health. You can check this website to see which have been approved as not producing harmful levels of ozone.

You can also go to Idaho Health and Welfare’s wildfire smoke page  (I know you already did it once because we already covered how dedicated you are) and read up on HEPA air cleaners. It’s under the main paragraph in big black letters : Portable Air Cleaners. Click that little plus sign and delve in. You’ll learn some good stuff. Next time we’ll talk specifically about how to choose a filter for your new air cleaner or if you are upgrading your HVAC filter. So long! Not too long though. You need to come back and finish what you started.

Wildfire Smoke and Your Health - Particulate Matter

Welcome back to our series about smoke and your health. Glad you were able to find your way back.. Let’s get started.

Last time we talked about VOCs- but if it’s not VOCs, who’s the big baddie of the smoke world then? Particulates. They’re tiny. Like tiny tiny. Here’s a handy graphic from the EPA that should give you some idea of how tiny we’re talking.

So what’s the big deal? Well, PM2.5 gets past your body’s natural defense system (think nose hairs and mucus) and goes straight for your big cushy lungs. From there, it can get into your bloodstream and cause all sorts of problems. Here’s a few:

• ·       Increased risk of hospital admissions and premature death in those with existing heart and lung diseases –asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart disease, or ischemic heart disease. Older people are especially susceptible.
• ·       Increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.
•       Can aggravate existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis.
• ·       Difficult for people with existing lung disease and children (whose lungs are still developing) to breathe deeply causing coughing and shortness of breath.

Nobody wants any of that. But there are some things that can be done to protect you. We’ll talk about those next time. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, go check out the Idaho Health and Welfare website for more health related matters. If you’ve done that and aren’t ready to leave the black hole that is the internet, have a look at the DEQ’s website and learn about other pollutants. See ya next time!

Wildfire Smoke and Your Health - An Intro to VOCs

Welcome back to this series of posts talking about smoke and your health. Glad you found your way back to us. Hope this information helps you out. Let me know if you have any questions.

As I mentioned before, VOCs are just one component of smoke. VOCs are chemical compounds that turn in to gas very easily at room temperature making it very easy for them to find their way to your nose. They aren’t the worst part of the smoke as they only make up a small portion of the overall smoke you’re breathing- but they are an obnoxious part. The part that makes your eyes sting and water, gives you headaches and a scratchy throat and makes you feel generally uncomfortable. You usually hear about VOCs when talking about paints and solvents and you know how nasty that stuff can be.

The good news is you can get filters to remove VOCs from your home, most commonly in the form of an activated carbon pre-filter in a portable air cleaner. The bad news is that the filter gets saturated pretty quickly. So unless you’re going to change them out often they won’t do you much good. They can also get pretty spendy. If you’re one of the folks that VOCs really bother though, it may be worth the extra investment. Check out the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare website for more information.

Also, you need to know wearing a paper mask or even an N95 mask WILL NOT protect you from VOCs. You may look totally awesome in one but if VOCs are your nemesis, they won’t help.

My next post, probably tomorrow, will talk about what Particulate Matter is and what you could do to protect yourself from PM pollution. If you feel like getting extra credit or have more health related questions, you can check out the Idaho Health and Welfare’s page dedicated to wildfire smoke. Hope you find your way back to us. Talk to you soon!

Wildfire Smoke and Your Health

Alright, the time has come again to talk about smoke and your health. We’re talking wildfire smoke. That big ugly haze that hangs over our heads so much of the time we go outside in late summer when we’re supposed to lounging by the pool with a cool drink in our hand, reading a light book, relaxing without a care in the world. I digress. It’s not news to tell you that wildfire smoke isn’t good for you. Particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the two main components of smoke that are likely to affect your health when wildfire season rolls around.

Over the next several days I want to share with you what I’ve learned about wildfire smoke from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, as well as the Department of Environmental Quality -what makes up smoke, how do we measure its pollutants, how you can be prepared for it, and what can you do to lessen your exposure? On my next post in this series I will talk about what VOCs are and what you can do to remove them from your home. Hope to see you again and until then kick back with a good book and relax (inside the house with the AC going, of course)!

Looking Ahead

The National Interagency Fire Center (based in Boise, Idaho) puts out a monthly fire potential outlook. Here are the outlooks for September and October.

Fairly good weekend on the way

Impacts from smoke today can be expected to be confined to upper level haze over southwestern Idaho and northeast into central and northern Idaho due to winds from the southwest bring smoke from the fires still burning in California and Oregon. This looks to continue on Saturday with increasing coverage to all of southern Idaho as the winds come from the west. Optimistically, it looks as though the Panhandle and parts of central Idaho will clear out during the afternoon tomorrow. 

Saturday night into Sunday, the Panhandle looks to be impacted by smoke from Washington with clearing in the afternoon. South Idaho should expect to see similar conditions to Saturday. By Monday, north Idaho again looks to clear while south Idaho will still have smoke aloft. All weekend, we look to be more impacted by transport smoke rather than smoke from local fires.

This image shows the modeled smoke aloft over Idaho this afternoon (09/07/18 4pm MDT). It shows a large plume of smoke being transported into southwest and central Idaho from Oregon and California.

Data Source: Bluesky USFS AirFire.

Local impacts with a bit of haze down south

Smoke impacts today are expected to be extremely localized and greatest (while still remaining relatively light) over the central and southern Panhandle and south to Latah County while the remainder of the state is expected to remain clear with upper level haze evident over southern Idaho thanks to southwesterly winds and fires burning in CA/OR. Over night, drainage into the Upper Snake via the Big Lost and Little Lost should be expected, but will dissipate in the early afternoon.

This image shows expanded smoke coverage from the southern Panhandle and south into the Camas and Weippe Prairies.  The rest of the state remained clear.

MODIS Today Terra Visible Imagery for 09/05/2018. Data Source: University of Wisconsin

Not a lot of smoke, some haze

Smoke impacts today are expected to be extremely localized and greatest (while still remaining relatively light) over the central and southern Panhandle while the remainder of the state is expected to remain clear with upper level haze evident over southern Idaho due to the southwesterly winds and fires burning in CA/OR.

This image shows very limited smoke coverage within the Purcell Trench which corresponds to elevated AQI values for that day.  The rest of the state remained clear.

MODIS Today Terra Visible Imagery for 09/04/2018. Data Source: University of Wisconsin

Looks good for long weekend!

Oh man, it is looking pretty good out there. And just in time for the long weekend. Up north, you may notice the winds shift a bit and they may bring some smoke from the Canadian and Washington fires but any impacts should be minimal. Central Idaho is looking pretty good too – fire activity is lower which has resulted in less smoke settling in lowland areas at night. We’re not out of the woods yet, but you will likely avoid any significant smoke buildup in that area today and over the weekend.

Down south, winds will increase with possible gusts up to 25mph in south-central Idaho. For the rest of southern Idaho, a consistent flow over the weekend is expected. This may filter some smoke from Idaho fires into Idaho Falls and some points to the west later today with only limited, minimal impacts likely from Arco to Haley.

Lucky for all of us – especially those of you planning to spend some time in the great outdoors this weekend, no significant or long-term buildup of smoke is expected through the weekend throughout the state. The weather pattern appears to keep the air moving around enough to limit long-term buildup, but there may be some minor impacts on Labor Day. So go forth and wander (safely of course)!

This image is taken from the DEQ webcam on Teaken Butte, located in Nez Perce County, Idaho. 

Fires still burning, bringing back a little smoke

It will get breezy again today. Up in the North, smoke that has come into the region overnight will clear out as the day goes on.  Expect it to be dry and warm in the southwestern part of the state. Some smoke will come over from the Oregon fires still burning into the Snake River Plain. It will mostly stay up higher as it moves from west to east towards Mountain Home but you won’t completely escape surface smoke impacts. In the Lemhi County area, winds are likely to get gusty and unfortunately this could cause increased fire activity which would contribute to more smoke for Salmon and other communities in that region.

This image shows potential for smoke transport from Oregon impacting surface in SW Idaho this evening. The Canadian fire smoke is anticipated to miss the Panhandle.

HRRR-Near Surface Smoke depicts 8/30 at 23:00 UTC (5pm MDT 8/30). Data Source: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory

Breezy day could bring a little haze

Breezy southwest winds are on their way into the Panhandle and the North Central area this afternoon and into Thursday. Winds will likely continue to be breezy on Thursday. Some protected valley locations could expect variable wind conditions especially the further south you go into Central Idaho. Any fires in the path of the gusty winds could become more active.

Overnight smoke could settle into the Purcell Trench but should be short lived. Winds could bring light some smoke into the southwest Idaho area. This could mean hazy skies and perhaps a little surface smoke impact but don’t expect much buildup to occur. 

Smoke impacts from wildfires are not expected today, although anywhere near local fires could see slight increases in smoke especially during the overnight hours. Ventilation looks good throughout the day limiting any smoke buildup in most areas. Areas through the lower Snake River Plain may see less impressive ventilation conditions.

This image shows smoke transport from Washington and Oregon fires that could pass over Idaho overnight.

HRRR-Vertically Integrated Smoke depict 8/30 at 5:00 UTC (11pm MDT 8/29). Data Source: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory

No smoke today!

Hooray! The sky is clear today. Look at that beautiful state of ours!  Get outside while you can!

Any smoke that is out there today is expected to be extremely localized and greatest over the Panhandle while the rest of the state is clear clear clear! There could be some drainage into the Arco Desert and the Middle Snake from the fires burning in the Central Idaho Mountains. Tomorrow, the smoke from those Central Idaho Mountain fires is likely to drain into the Middle Snake River Plain and the move west within the Snake River plain through the evening and there may be some smoke over southwestern Idaho.

This image shows that no smoke is forecast to be present over Idaho this evening throughout the entire atmospheric column.

HRRR-Smoke Vertically integrated smoke concentrations initialized at 00 UTC 08/28 and valid at 23 UTC (5pm MDT) 08/28. Data Source: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory

Air Pollution Forecast and Caution - Lifted

All counties that were previously under an Air Pollution Forecast and Caution have been lifted due to improved air quality. Air quality is expected to remain improved today and tomorrow. For more information, click the link for your regional DEQ office.

Boise - Ada, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, and Washington County
Twin Falls- Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Twin Falls, Blaine, Camas 
Pocatello -Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin, Power, Oneida
Idaho Falls - Bonneville, Butte, Jefferson, Madison, Clark, Fremont, Teton 
Lewiston - Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Clearwater, Idaho Counties, river corridors and surrounding areas off the Nez Perce Reservation
Coeur d'Alene - Boundary, Bonner, Shoshone, Kootenai, Benewah 

DEQ Lifts Air Pollution Forecast and Caution for Magic Valley and Wood River Valley

Air Pollution Forecast and Caution - Lifted

Date/Time Issued: Monday, August 27, 2018/12:00 p.m.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has lifted an Air Pollution Forecast and Caution to notify residents of Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls Counties of improved air quality.  Due to improved air quality, BURNING RESTRICTIONS ARE BEING LIFTED. Air quality is currently in the GOOD category and is forecast to Good to Moderate categories. Note: air quality is likely to change drastically with slight changes in weather conditions and fire behavior. The pollutant of concern is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5).

Health Impacts and Recommended Actions

When air quality is good, air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk.

Woodstove  Burning Restrictions

No Restrictions

Outdoor Burning Restrictions

Open burning restrictions have been lifted in accordance with the Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho (IDAPA 58.01.01.550).

Contact

For more information, contact DEQ’s Regional Office in Twin Falls at (208) 736-2190.

For real-time air monitoring information, visit DEQ’s website at airquality.deq.idaho.gov.

For more information concerning local ordinances contact your local city or county.

Air Quality Index (AQI):

 

For more information on the AQI, visit http://www.epa.gov/airnow/aqi_brochure_02_14.pdf.

For more information about wildfire smoke, visit Idaho’s Smoke Blog at idsmoke.blogspot.com.

* Sensitive groups include those with heart and lung disease, older adults, and children.

 

 

Monday, August 27, 2018, 10:00am

Air Quality Advisory Lifted on the Nez Perce Reservation

Air quality has improved throughout the Nez Perce Reservation. The Air Quality Advisory is lifted.

Affected Areas: All areas on the Nez Perce Reservation.

Air Quality Index (AQI) Category: All areas on the Nez Perce Reservation are currently in the “Good” category of the Air Quality Index.

For AQI health-related information, visit www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=pubs.aqguidepart.

Sensitive groups include:

• Infants, children, pregnant women, elders
• People who have high exposure (those who work, exercise, or spend extensive time outdoors)
• People with existing health conditions or chronic diseases like asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, heart disease, COPD or diabetes.

Restrictions: No restrictions.

Idaho Smoke Information Blog:  idsmoke.blogspot.com

Idaho Fire Information Blog:  idahofireinfo.com

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare:  Wildfire Smoke and Your Health

Idaho Smoke Information Hotline:  1-800-345-1007

Nez Perce Tribe ERWM Air Quality Program

208-843-9381 | 1-800-720-4089

airquality@nezperce.org | www.nezperce.org

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Clearing at last!

Look up! There may be showers and it may be mostly cloudy to cloudy over most of the state today but there are bits of blue showing through!!

Smoke is extremely localized today and of course will be greatest over the Panhandle, though those impacts are considerably improved compared to previous days. The rest of the state is expected to continue to improve today. This evening, over the Panhandle, smoke will settle as the sun sets. Tomorrow, smoke from the fires in the Central Idaho Mountains will drain into the Middle Snake River plain and move west within the Snake River Plain through the evening and into early Tuesday. This smoke drainage could reach as far west as Boise, Garden Valley, and Idaho City.

Go outside (with an umbrella if necessary) and soak up the good air while it lasts.

This image shows Good to Moderate air quality readings across the state.

Data Source:  DEQ Real time air quality network  Nowcast data for 08/27/2018.

Air Pollution Forecast and Caution - Lifted

Air Pollution Forecast and Caution - Lifted

Date/Time Issued: Monday, August 27, 2018/9:00 a.m. 

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has lifted an Air Quality Advisory and Stage 1 Air Pollution Forecast and Caution to notify residents of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin, Power and Oneida Counties of improved air quality.  Due to improved air quality, BURNING RESTRICTIONS ARE BEING LIFTED. Air quality has dramatically improved due to the cold front moving into the area. Air quality is currently in the GOOD category and is forecast to remain in the good category through tomorrow. The pollutant of concern is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5).

Health Impacts and Recommended Actions

When air quality is good, air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk.  

Woodstove  Burning Restrictions

No Restrictions 

Outdoor Burning Restrictions

Open burning restrictions have been lifted in accordance with local ordinances and the Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho (IDAPA 58.01.01.550).  

Contact

For more information, contact DEQ’s Regional Office in Pocatello at (208) 236-6160.

For real-time air monitoring information, visit DEQ’s website at airquality.deq.idaho.gov.

For more information concerning local ordinances contact your local city or county.

Air Quality Index (AQI):

For more information on the AQI, visit http://www.epa.gov/airnow/aqi_brochure_02_14.pdf.

For more information about wildfire smoke, visit Idaho’s Smoke Blog at idsmoke.blogspot.com.

* Sensitive groups include those with heart and lung disease, older adults, and children.