Smoke Ready 2021, held the week of June 14-18, 2021, encouraged residents to prepare early for wildfire smoke with information, tips and resources that are relevant all summer long. The campaign’s sponsors (Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, Spokane Regional Health District, and Spokane County Emergency Management), posted information and resources on preparing for wildfire smoke online and on social media along with the hashtag #SmokeReady2021.

Unique themes with related tips were highlighted each day. The first topic covered how to protect your health from smoke by monitoring air quality using the Air Quality Index (AQI), a color-coded system to report air quality conditions. Since air quality can change quickly during smoke events, check the AQI often (it is updated hourly) at SpokaneCleanAir.org. 

Another easy way to keep tabs on air quality is to download the free AirNow phone app. You can also sign up for texts or email alerts at Airnow.gov.

The health threat posed by wildfire smoke particles was one of several other highlighted topics. These tiny particles can bypass our body’s normal defenses, entering the lungs and blood stream. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases.

The best way to protect yourself is to reduce your exposure to smoke. Because smoke particles are so tiny, they can remain suspended in the air and travel long distances. This is why the Spokane area can experience heavy smoke from fires that are hundreds and even thousands of miles away.

Check air quality and wildfire activity at the Washington State Smoke Blog (Wasmoke.blogspot.com) and learn about ways to protect yourself before the smoke arrives at Spokanecleanair.org/air-quality/wildfire-smoke.

Infants and children, pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with heart and lung disease may experience more severe acute and chronic symptoms from smoke exposure and therefore should discuss a plan with their healthcare provider before the smoke arrives, urged the Smoke Ready 2021 Campaign.

Strategies we can all incorporate to protect ourselves include creating a cleaner-air room in your home with a portable HEPA air cleaner. They can help reduce particulate levels indoors as long as they are the right type and size for your home.

For a more low-cost option, try making a box fan filter yourself. This DIY solution costs under $50. While it won’t provide the same level of protection as a HEPA air cleaner, it does effectively reduce smoke particles (search YouTube for how-to videos).

Also if you have an air conditioning unit at home or in your car, switch off the “fresh air intake” when it is smoky outside. Use the “recirculate feature” instead. 

If you have a forced air system in your home, talk to your service provider about different filters and settings that will work with your system to reduce indoor smoke. Also avoid activities that create more indoor and outdoor air pollution, such as frying foods, sweeping and vacuuming, and burning candles or recreational outdoor fires.

Other ways to reduce the heat and smoke in your home include closing curtains or shades during the day when it’s sunny. Try using portable fans indoors and place a bowl of ice in front of the fan (with windows closed) to help cool a room.

For more information, visit Spokanecleanair.org.

For more wildfire-related stories, visit the OTO archives.

[Feature photo by Judd McCaffree. // Wildfire smoke above Sullivan Lake in summer 2017.]

The post Agencies Collaborate to Prepare Communities for Wildfire Smoke appeared first on Out There Venture.

Have you ever wondered:

• Is the campground where I have upcoming reservations still open?
• Are my favorite trails closed?
• Which roads are safe for travel?
• Where is it safe to go camping now?
• There’s no cell service in the national forest area I plan to visit; there isn’t a wildfire now, but how would I know if one breaks out miles away? What would be the evacuation plan or route?

With so many different state and federal agencies overseeing public lands, recreationists need accurate information that’s easily accessible. Cross a state boundary, like from Washington to Idaho, and there may be less restrictions—which isn’t always a good thing. (Wondering if an off-road vehicle could spark a fire near your campground can damper the mood.)

For some recreation destinations, the landscape, topography, and availability of access roads can increase the risk of a life-threatening wildfire event for campers and recreation users.

Do you know what you would do if a wildland fire starts down the road from your campground, and that’s the only major road out? Would you be able to quickly pack only your essentials into a vehicle—your people, pets, shoes, food, water, lanterns or flashlights, first-aid kit—and evacuate a campground? Would you be able to leave your tent or RV (if no time to pack or hitch), boat, kayaks, and bikes behind, and flee to safety in time?

Where To Find Current Information

Local daily broadcast media and print news stories, though helpful, are secondary sources. Some reports may be too general, especially in the beginning of a fire incident, providing basic facts—when, where, who’s involved.

Fire conditions can change quickly. More detailed reports may only be provided when there are road closures, evacuation orders, or when tragedy occurs, especially when it’s a fire event hundreds of miles away or in a different state.

This is why recreationists need to find and use primary news sources, whether you’re at home wondering if your upcoming trip should be postponed or cancelled, or you’ve already arrived at your destination and have cell-service.

If you’re unsure if there is sufficient cell service at your final destination, write down phone numbers and addresses for the nearest ranger station or sheriff’s office so you know where you can get in-person information. If planning to backpack or primitive camp, check-in with a ranger before heading into the wilderness.

Here’s a round-up of the best sources for finding current information about wildland fires in the Pacific and Inland Northwest region. There are also online sources for current travel and safety information; visitor or service restrictions; and park, campground, and trail closures.

Regional Wildfire Agencies & Resources

• Northwest Interagency Coordination Center: Website homepage includes: (1) List of current fires in Washington and Oregon and their individual InciWeb links for more incident information; (2) Daily updates on current wildland fires (listed in alphabetical order according to fire name) and link to Northwest Large Fire Interactive Map.

• InciWeb – Incident Information System: NW Regional links include morning briefing, 7-Day Significant Fire Potential, NWCC Fire Information Summary, Fire Map, and Daily Situation Report – inciweb.nwcg.gov/.
• Northeast Washington Interagency Communications Center: Regional fire activity on public lands in NE Washington that are managed by Bureau of Land Management, Colville National Forest, US Fish and Wildlife, and Northeast Region Washington State Department of Natural Resources – gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/districts/NEWICC/index.html.
• National Weather Service: Fire Weather – weather.gov/fire/.
• Northwest Fire Science Consortium: A more logistical and technical resource geared towards firefighting agencies; homepage includes a list of incident information for the latest wildland fires in Washington and Oregon – nwfirescience.org/current-fire-information.
• Wildfire Today: News about recent fires – wildfiretoday.com/recent-fires/.

State Agencies

Oregon

Wildfire Resources – wildfire.oregon.gov

Washington

• Wildfire Resources (includes links for Spokane Status Updates) – governor.wa.gov/news-media/washington-wildfire-resources
• WA State Dept of Natural Resources (DNR) – dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/wildfire-resources

Idaho

Wildland Fires – deq.idaho.gov/air-quality/burning/wildland-fires

Montana

Fish, Wildlife, & Parks: Alerts and Restrictions – fwp.mt.gov/news/restrictions

Public Land Closures & Travel Restrictions

State Parks & Public Lands

• Oregon State Parks & Recreation: Advisories and emergency closure notices; Park Status Update map.
• Washington State Parks & Recreation: statewide alerts
• WA State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Land: closures
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oregon-Washington: Fire Closures and Fire Restrictions

National Forests – Northwest (alert webpages)

• Boise
• Colville
• Deschutes
• Idaho Panhandle
• Kootenai
• Lolo
• Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie
• Mt. Hood
• Okanogan-Wenatchee
• Sawtooth
• Umatilla
• Willamette
• U.S. Forest Service – Wildland Fire (general wildfire information)

National Park Service

• Active Alerts in Parks (search by park name)
• Crater Lake
• Glacier
• Grand Teton
• Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
• Mt. Rainier
• North Cascades
• Olympic
• Yellowstone

Scenic Trails

• Continental Divide Trail (CDT)
• Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
• Pacific Northwest Trail (PNWT)

Learn more from these OTO stories

• Travel & Safety in Wildfire Country (including links for evacuation planning)
• Learning About Wildfires: Resources for Children & Families

The post Best Sources for Northwest Wildfire Information appeared first on Out There Venture.