As wildfires burn across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho during what is shaping up to be a severe 2026 fire season, wildfire smoke is degrading air quality across the Pacific Northwest and posing increasing health risks to residents — particularly those with respiratory conditions, the elderly, children, and outdoor workers.

Current Air Quality Conditions

The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency has flagged that air pollution levels in the Inland Northwest can build quickly under current weather conditions — calm, hot days with reduced ventilation reduce the atmosphere's ability to disperse particulates. The agency noted that AQI levels were at Moderate as of the July 6-7 weekend, with the potential for rapid degradation if smoke from nearby fires moves into the airshed.

Residents near the Chelan Hills Fire (Douglas County), the Claremont Fire (Boise area), and the North Cayuse Fire (Pendleton, OR) have reported heavy, acrid smoke and reduced visibility. Smoke from multiple fires can combine regionally to affect areas many miles from any individual fire perimeter.

Oregon Among Nation's Worst for Wildfire Smoke Impacts

A recently released State of the Air report ranked Lane County, Oregon as second in the nation for poor air quality — a finding health officials attributed substantially to wildfire smoke. Oregon was the only state in the nation to earn an "F" grade for the number of average yearly bad PM2.5 days weighted by county populations, with approximately eight days per year affected by unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter.

"Unfortunately, just the scale and intensity and the amount of burning that occurs during most wildfires — and because of Oregon's abundant forests and our proximity to them — has proven to have a very surprising impact on air quality for Lane County and for the Pacific Northwest," one health official noted. Wildfire smoke continues to be the primary driver worsening the state's grades for short-term particle pollution.

Protecting Yourself From Smoke

Health officials recommend the following precautions during elevated smoke events:

  • Check AirNow.gov before spending time outdoors — updated hourly AQI readings are available by zip code
  • Limit outdoor activity when AQI is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101+) or higher
  • Use N95 or KN95 masks if you must be outside during heavy smoke; cloth and surgical masks do not filter fine particles effectively
  • Keep indoor air clean: close windows and doors, run air conditioning on recirculate mode, and use HEPA air purifiers
  • Create a clean air room in your home — a room with a HEPA filter running where you spend most of your time during smoke events
  • Check on neighbors who may lack air conditioning, particularly elderly residents and those with asthma or heart disease

Resources for Real-Time Monitoring

Several tools are available to track air quality conditions in the Pacific Northwest:

  • AirNow.gov — official EPA air quality index by location
  • AirNow Fire and Smoke Map — combines AQI with active fire locations
  • PurpleAir — crowdsourced sensor network with hyperlocal data
  • Oregon DEQ Air Quality — oregon.gov/deq/aq
  • Washington Ecology AQI — ecology.wa.gov/air-quality

As additional fires ignite and grow through the peak of fire season in July and August, smoke events are expected to become more frequent and more severe. Early preparation — including obtaining N95 masks and HEPA filters — is strongly encouraged before the next major smoke event arrives.