Air quality agencies across the Pacific Northwest used the first week of June to urge residents to prepare for what could be a particularly smoky wildfire season, citing record-low winter snowpack, early fuel curing, and seasonal forecasts comparable to the devastating 2015 fire season.

Smoke Ready Week

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) and partner agencies observed Smoke Ready Week June 2–6, 2026, sharing information about how communities can minimize health impacts when smoke rolls in from nearby or distant wildfires. The initiative is part of a broader national effort by air quality agencies to shift public behavior from reactive to proactive during fire season.

"The winter of 2025–26 was exceptionally warm across the western United States," noted Washington Smoke Blog analysts in a post published during the awareness week. "By April 1, when snowpack is usually at its annual maximum, this year's numbers were near or below record values across almost every mountain range in the west."

Why This Season Could Be Worse

Fire weather experts have drawn comparisons between 2026 conditions and those of 2015, which produced one of the worst wildfire smoke seasons in Pacific Northwest history. That year, smoke blanketed the region for weeks, sending air quality into the "hazardous" category across large swaths of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

"If California were to get active, Idaho and parts of Oregon can get slammed with that smoke," one fire weather forecaster warned this week. The interconnected nature of western wildfire smoke means that even communities far from active fires can experience dangerous air quality episodes when wind patterns shift.

In Lane County, Oregon, the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) issued guidance urging families with young children, people with respiratory issues, and other vulnerable populations to take precautions before smoke arrives.

Tools to Monitor Air Quality

  • Washington Smoke Blog (wasmoke.blogspot.com) — Multi-agency updates on wildfire smoke across Washington and the Pacific Northwest
  • AirNow.gov — Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) readings and forecasts nationwide
  • FireAirnow — Smoke-specific air quality data layered with fire locations
  • Purple Air — Community sensor network providing hyperlocal PM2.5 readings

How to Protect Your Health

Air quality agencies recommend taking these steps before smoke conditions arrive:

  • Talk with your healthcare provider if you or a family member has a respiratory condition, heart disease, or other smoke-sensitive health issue
  • Stock up on N95 or KN95 respirator masks — standard cloth masks do not filter fine particulate matter
  • Refill necessary prescriptions so medications are on hand during prolonged smoke events
  • Identify a clean air shelter in your community — many libraries, community centers, and public buildings maintain HEPA filtration
  • Consider a portable HEPA air purifier for your home, particularly for bedrooms
  • Keep windows and doors closed when outdoor AQI is elevated

For more resources, visit ORCAA's Wildfire Smoke page at orcaa.org and AirNow's wildfire guide at airnow.gov.