Wildfire smoke brings unhealthy air to Portland

Portland’s air turned unhealthy this week as wildfire smoke and heat settled over the city and much of the Willamette Valley. KATU reported that smoke pushed air quality from Moderate to Unhealthy, with the worst conditions near Mount Hood, while the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality had advisories in place for the Portland metro and other parts of the state. Relief was expected by Friday as cooler weather moved in. ### Why did Portland’s air get so bad so fast? More than 2 million acres were burning in Oregon as of early this week, according to OPB, and smoke from multiple fires in Oregon and Washington spread west of the Cascades into the Portland metro area. OPB said air quality advisories covered most of the Pacific Northwest and that conditions near some fires reached hazardous levels on Wednesday morning. (katu.com) Mount Hood-area fires added to the immediate threat for Portland. KATU reported that the Grasshopper Fire east of Mount Hood was the closest wildfire threat to the city, and that smoke from that fire helped blanket Portland. In a separate report, KATU said the fire had burned tens of thousands of acres and prompted evacuation orders near Mount Hood recreation areas. (opb.org) ### How bad were conditions in Portland itself? Portland briefly ranked among the worst major cities in the world for air quality on Wednesday morning, according to OPB and other local reports citing IQAir. OPB said a runner at Tom McCall Waterfront Park wore a mask as smoke spread across the city, and KATU reported that the Willamette Valley had dropped into the Unhealthy range. (katu.com) The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also issued a separate ozone advisory on August 5 for the Portland metro area, Salem and other locations, saying elevated smog levels were expected through 10 p.m. on Thursday, August 6. That meant wildfire smoke and summer heat were overlapping with another air-quality problem at the same time. (opb.org) ### What were officials and experts telling people to do? UW News said hikers and campers should plan for wildfire conditions before leaving home, including identifying egress routes in case fire activity cuts off the intended return path. UW experts also advised people to sign up for emergency text alerts and make contingency plans because smoke and fire conditions can change quickly. (apps.oregon.gov) The Oregon smoke advisory said people who are sensitive to smoke should consider limiting outdoor activity and following updates from state and local agencies. KATU’s coverage also tied the smoke event to a Heat Advisory that kept temperatures in the 90s through Thursday, adding another risk for people spending long periods outside. ### When was relief expected? (washington.edu) Friday was the first clear break in the forecast. KATU reported that cooler conditions were expected by then, which was likely to improve air quality after several days of stagnant smoky air over Portland and the valley. Oregon Live separately reported that relief was in sight as smoke covered much of western Oregon. (oregonsmoke.org) The next practical checkpoints were the expiration of the ozone advisory at 10 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, and continued updates from Oregon smoke and fire agencies on whether smoke from active fires near Mount Hood and elsewhere would keep drifting into the metro area. (apps.oregon.gov) (katu.com)