Kennewick, Ellensburg postpone National Night Out

Wildfire smoke disrupted National Night Out events across parts of central and southeastern Washington this week, prompting Kennewick, Richland and Ellensburg to change or drop plans for the annual community-policing gatherings. Local officials cited unhealthy outdoor air tied to regional fires and said they were acting to protect residents, volunteers and public-safety staff. (richlandwa.gov) A Washington State Department of Health alert issued August 5 said poor air quality was affecting most of the state and could pose major health risks, especially for sensitive groups. Air-quality agencies also issued a smoke alert covering Benton, Franklin and Kittitas counties. (govonestop.com) ### Which cities changed their National Night Out plans? Richland said on August 3 that it had postponed its National Night Out and City Fair, which had been scheduled for August 4 at Howard Amon Park. The city said forecast unhealthy air quality from smoke across the Pacific Northwest led city leadership, after consulting surrounding jurisdictions and reviewing information from the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Benton Clean Air Agency, to delay the event. Ellensburg had promoted an August 4 National Night Out barbecue with the Ellensburg Police Department at Veterans Memorial Park. Separate local reporting cited by the story brief said the event was later canceled because of wildfire smoke. (doh.wa.gov) The city’s event notice shows the gathering had been planned for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Kennewick also postponed its event this week, according to local reporting cited in the story brief. The preliminary reporting said the city announced the postponement on August 5 as smoke conditions worsened. ### What did officials say about the health risk? The Washington State Department of Health said on August 5 that “large wildfires are currently burning across the state of Washington” and that air-quality alerts had been issued across all counties in Central and Eastern Washington and most of Western Washington. (richlandwa.gov) The agency said smoke exposure can increase respiratory and cardiac risks and worsen chronic health conditions. (ellensburgwa.gov) A regional air-quality alert issued August 5 at 2:33 p.m. PDT said wildfires and forecast conditions would cause air quality to reach unhealthy levels in Benton, Franklin, Kittitas, Yakima and several other counties. (applevalleynewsnow.com) The alert said smoke pollutants can aggravate heart and lung disease and advised residents to limit outdoor activity and keep children indoors if it is smoky. ### Did any city announce a new date? Richland said it had rescheduled National Night Out and City Fair for Thursday, August 20, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Howard Amon Park. City Manager Jon Amundson said the city was disappointed to postpone but that “the health and safety of our community must come first.” (doh.wa.gov) The Richland notice said updates would be posted on the city’s National Night Out page. The city described the event as one of its signature community gatherings, bringing together residents, families and public-safety partners. ### What guidance were residents told to follow? (govonestop.com) The Benton Franklin Health District says residents should monitor the Air Quality Index, limit time outdoors during hazardous periods and keep windows and doors closed during heavy smoke. The district also says properly fitted N95 respirators can filter harmful particulate matter, though it recommends medical clearance for some users. (richlandwa.gov) The state health department said older adults, pregnant people, infants, young children, people with chronic illness, unhoused people and outdoor workers face elevated risks during smoke events. It directed providers and residents to tools including the WA Smoke Blog and the Fire and Smoke Map. (richlandwa.gov) ### Where can people check for updates now? Air-quality alerts remained in effect as of August 5, with the regional notice listing an expiration of August 12 at 5 a.m., though conditions can change sooner. Residents can track smoke and particulate conditions through AirNow’s Fire and Smoke Map, the WA Smoke Blog, Benton Franklin Health District guidance pages and city notices, including Richland’s page for its rescheduled August 20 event. (bfhd.wa.gov) (govonestop.com) (doh.wa.gov)