Walk the streets of Pinehurst these days and you'll see it. And likely, you'll smell it.

Smoke from wood-burning stoves.

"Definitely the wood smoke has been hanging here in the mornings," said City Clerk Carla Ross.

It's been sitting there and it's going to continue sitting there for at least a few more days.

That means, the air up there in Pinehurst isn't good. In fact, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, it's "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Those who fall into that category - people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children - should avoid exerting themselves for long periods outdoors.

Now, that's not really new in Pinehurst. It has reached similar poor air quality levels at least seven days this year, said Mark Boyle, DEQ regional air quality manager in Coeur d'Alene.

"The difference this time is the weather does not appear to be changing for another several days and pollution conditions could remain elevated at this level through the beginning of next week," he said Thursday.

In fact, it may be particularly bad today, prompting DEQ to issue a warning.

The source is linked to the recent cold snap of little wind, clear skies and sunshine. The relatively stagnant conditions are trapping pollutants.

The state has banned open burning outdoors in Idaho's five northern counties, and is asking residents to limit use of wood burning stoves, and be sure they're operating properly.

While DEQ rates the air "good" in Kootenai County, Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, and "moderate" in St. Maries, Pinehurst earns the worst score.

The problem in the town about 25 miles east of Coeur d'Alene is that it is situated in a sheltered valley, making it more susceptible to ground level inversion conditions, Boyle said.

That basically means the area gets a lid put on it and emissions - such as wood smoke and vehicle emissions - have nowhere to go and build up over time.

Many in Pinehurst operate wood stoves to heat their homes. Unfortunately, some are not using them efficiently, Boyle said. It would help if they used only seasoned wood, burned smaller, hotter fires and didn't let fires burn slowly throughout the night.

Poor air quality brings with it some danger.

"Health studies have shown that when air pollution increases, there is an increase in the number of people who seek medical attention for lung and heart illnesses," according to the Department of Health and Welfare,

So far, that hasn't happened in Pinehurst.

No one has called City Hall to voice concerns about the air quality, Ross said, and the Pinehurst fire department reported it has not responded to any recent breathing complaints due to dirty air.

Most days, the air quality is fine in Pinehurst, Ross said. But when the cold arrives with winter, that's when the wood stoves really roar to life.

"You can definitely smell wood smoke when you walk outside," she said.

Ross said the city is working with DEQ on a rebate program that offers incentives for citizens to replace their older, non-EPA certified wood stoves with newer, certified ones that produce less smoke.

Meantime, what's needed, said Boyle, is a strong cold front to push through the area.

"This would likely produce snow, but the key is getting an exchange of the air mass that is currently locked in over our area," he wrote.