For millions of Pacific Northwest residents, the 2026 wildfire season was felt not just in the dramatic images of towering smoke columns and rust-orange skies — but in the throat and the lungs. Air quality across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho reached levels during the summer of 2026 that health officials and atmospheric scientists described as among the worst on record for the region.

Eastern Washington: A Summer of Relentless Smoke

No region of the Pacific Northwest suffered more prolonged smoke exposure than communities east of the Cascade crest in Washington state. Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties — all directly adjacent to major fire activity in the Okanogan Highlands and eastern Cascades — endured weeks of relentless smoke throughout August, with little relief between events.

According to Washington State Smoke Blog, which monitors EPA air quality data across the state, at least one monitoring station in Chelan County recorded 24-hour average AQI values exceeding "Unhealthy" and "Very Unhealthy" thresholds on multiple consecutive days during the peak of fire activity in August. For context, an AQI above 150 is considered Unhealthy for all groups; above 200 is Very Unhealthy; above 300 is Hazardous — the most severe category.

Smoke Reached Far Beyond Fire Zones

The scale of the 2026 fire season meant that smoke impacts were not limited to communities near active fires. Pacific Northwest wildfire smoke drifted south into California on multiple occasions during the season's peak, prompting the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to extend a regional air quality advisory through early August as smoke from Oregon and Washington fires settled into the Bay Area and Central Valley.

Even communities on the west side of the Cascades — typically sheltered from the worst smoke by the mountain barrier — experienced extended periods of degraded air quality as smoke plumes overrode the range during peak fire conditions in late July and early August. Portland, Salem, and Eugene all recorded smoke-impacted days.

Health Impacts and Vulnerable Populations

Health agencies across Oregon and Washington issued repeated public advisories urging residents — particularly children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions — to limit outdoor activity during smoke events and use air filtration when available. HEPA air purifiers sold out across the region at multiple points during the season.

Many school districts in eastern Oregon and eastern Washington canceled outdoor activities, athletics, and recess for extended periods due to unhealthy air quality. Agricultural workers in the Yakima Valley and Willamette Valley faced particular exposure risks, as they could not easily shelter indoors during field work.

Air Quality Improving as Fire Season Winds Down

As the 2026 fire season draws toward a close and the Pacific Northwest transitions into fall and winter weather patterns, air quality has improved significantly across most of the region. Current AQI readings across Oregon and Washington are in the "Good" to "Moderate" range in most communities, and the cooler, wetter weather forecast for the coming weeks will further clear the air.

However, residents should be aware that prescribed burns beginning across the region this fall may cause localized smoke episodes — particularly in Okanogan County, North Idaho, and other areas where land managers are conducting planned burns. This smoke is expected to be temporary and localized. Monitor current conditions at: