The 2026 wildfire season left an air quality legacy that stretched far beyond fire perimeters, blanketing urban and rural communities across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho with hazardous smoke for weeks at a time and raising public health concerns that will take time to fully assess.

A Summer of Unhealthy Air

At its most intense, wildfire smoke from Oregon’s record fires drifted north into southwest Washington and the greater Vancouver area, triggering a multi-county air quality advisory that cited “unhealthy” conditions driven by smoke compounded at times by concurrent ozone advisories. Metro Vancouver, B.C. and adjacent Washington communities rated “poor” and in some cases “very poor” in regional air quality rankings, according to a global air quality report cited by the Vancouver Sun.

During peak smoke events across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, state health departments issued repeated guidance urging vulnerable populations — including the elderly, children under 18, pregnant women, and anyone with heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions — to remain indoors with windows closed and air purifiers running.

Readings at inland monitoring stations in eastern Oregon and Washington exceeded 200 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) at multiple points during the summer — a level categorized as “Very Unhealthy” for all residents, not just sensitive groups. Schools in several communities restricted or canceled outdoor activities, and some declared air quality closure days.

Air Quality Returning to Normal

As the active fire season winds down and fall Pacific moisture arrives, air quality across most of the Pacific Northwest has returned to healthy or moderate levels. Major smoke events are no longer forecast from active wildfires in the region.

Prescribed Burns: A Different Kind of Smoke

However, residents should be aware that the BLM and U.S. Wildland Fire Service have just launched fall and winter prescribed burn operations across Oregon and Washington. Unlike wildfire smoke — which can arrive suddenly and persist for days or weeks with little warning — prescribed burn smoke is generally shorter in duration and managed to minimize community impacts. Burns are halted when smoke conditions deteriorate beyond prescribed parameters.

Public tips for managing smoke from planned burns:

  • Monitor your local air quality at AirNow.gov or the Oregon and Washington DEQ websites
  • Sign up for air quality alerts from your county health department
  • Close windows and doors on nights when burns are active and smoke may settle in valleys
  • Keep N95 or KN95 masks on hand for high-smoke days
  • Consult your doctor if you have a chronic respiratory or heart condition before fire season each year

Long-term, public health researchers are beginning to assess the cumulative effects of repeated heavy smoke seasons on Pacific Northwest communities. Studies from previous smoke years have linked elevated wildfire PM2.5 exposure to increased hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, with children and the elderly disproportionately affected.