PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Southwest Clean Air Agency issued an air quality advisory Wednesday for the Portland-Vancouver metro area, Salem, Albany and Corvallis due to smog.
The advisory is expected to last until Thursday evening.
The DEQ said ozone pollution levels are elevated and could be unhealthy for some people, including kids, older adults, and those with heart disease or respiratory conditions.
Smog can irritate the eyes, nose and lungs. The DEQ and the SWCAA recommended that people concerned about their health take the following precautions:
- Limit driving by using public transit or carpooling
- Avoid unnecessarily running engines
- Refuel vehicles during cooler evening hours
- Postpone moving the lawn or using leaf blowers
- Postpone projects that use paint and aerosol spray
Ozone is produced when hot temperatures and low winds combine with pollution from cars and chemicals in paints and aerosols. The air pollutants then react with sunlight and heat to form ozone and haze.
As of Thursday morning, the DEQ's air quality map shows the Portland metro area under "moderate" air quality, meaning there may be a health risk for some people. According to the map, air quality was "unhealthy" in the Oakridge area and in areas around Medford. On Thursday, the DEQ extended its air quality advisory until further notice for southern Oregon. It was extended through Tuesday for northeast Oregon.
In southern Oregon, smoke from the Rum Creek Fire moved northward across western Oregon. KGW meteorologist Chris McGinness shared satellite imagery of the smoke in a post on Twitter. The Rum Creek Fire, which started two weeks ago, has burned nearly 13,000 acres in a largely remote and rural area.
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