Colorado issues Air Quality Alert for 64 counties

Colorado air-quality alerts now cover the entire state through a mix of wildfire-smoke advisories and Front Range pollution warnings issued by Colorado health officials on Wednesday. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said an Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke was in effect across large parts of western and central Colorado, while an Action Day Alert for multiple pollutants covered the northern Front Range. National Weather Service products for Colorado on Thursday showed air-quality alerts affecting 48 counties, while state advisories and the Front Range alert together reached all 64 counties. Denver’s forecast called for areas of smoke and temperatures climbing into the upper 90s and near 100 later this week. ### How did Colorado end up with alerts in all 64 counties? The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment split the warnings into two categories on August 5. A wildfire-smoke advisory covered dozens of counties across western, central and southern Colorado, including Mesa, Garfield, Pitkin, La Plata, Pueblo and El Paso counties, according to the state air-quality summary. The Front Range notice was different. The department and the Regional Air Quality Council issued an Action Day Alert for multiple pollutants for the urban corridor from Douglas County north to Larimer and Weld counties, including Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins and Greeley, the state advisory page said. (colorado.gov) ### What are officials saying about the smoke risk? CBS Colorado reported on August 5 that Erin Seedorf, chair of the Department of Health Professions at Metropolitan State University of Denver, warned that wildfire smoke can be more dangerous than many people assume. (colorado.gov) Seedorf told CBS that smoke contains many toxins and that several days of exposure “can be equivalent to smoking about seven cigarettes a day or about half a pack.” (colorado.gov) CDPHE’s wildfire-smoke guidance tells residents to monitor current air quality and smoke conditions because wildfire behavior is unpredictable and smoke concentrations can change quickly. The state health department directs residents to air-quality forecasts, fire information and local weather conditions before spending time outside. ### Where is the heat forecast getting worse? The National Weather Service forecast for Denver issued early Thursday showed a high near 97 degrees on Thursday, another 97 on Friday, and highs near 100 on Saturday and Sunday, with smoke remaining in the forecast through Friday. (cbsnews.com) The same forecast listed “Air Quality Alert” under hazardous weather conditions. Yahoo’s weather coverage, cited in the source briefing, reported that temperatures across parts of Colorado were expected to reach the 90s and near 100 degrees later this week as smoke lingered. (cdphe.colorado.gov) State and federal forecast products both showed heat and smoke overlapping at the same time. ### What does the state alert system actually mean? CDPHE says an Action Day Alert for fine particulates, ozone or multiple pollutants means current air quality is a public-health concern or is expected to worsen later that day or the next day. (weather.gov) The agency says those alerts are generally confined to parts of the Denver and northern Front Range region, depending on season and pollutant. The statewide picture on Thursday was broader than a single Front Range ozone event. (weather.gov) Colorado’s air-quality summary showed a smoke advisory layered onto the Front Range Action Day, while the National Weather Service state alerts page displayed air-quality alerts across much of Colorado. ### Where can residents check conditions next? CDPHE’s air-quality summary page and wildfire-smoke health page both publish current advisories and links to smoke conditions, while the National Weather Service posts local forecasts and statewide alerts. (cdphe.colorado.gov) Denver’s latest forecast said smoke was expected today and Friday, with the next stretch of near-100-degree heat arriving Saturday and Sunday. (colorado.gov)