MOSES LAKE — The smoky skies and poor air quality are forecast to stick around the Columbia Basin, at least through most of this week.  

The National Weather Service issued an “extreme fire risk” warning for last weekend, and while no major fires were reported in Grant County, surrounding areas weren’t so lucky. 

A trio of fires burned an undetermined number of homes north of Spokane, with Level 3 evacuation orders issued for neighborhoods within the city. The Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County prompted Level 3 evacuation orders west of Tonasket. The Little Giant Fire in Chelan County has burned about 51,300 acres between Entiat and Chelan.  

The smoke from all those fires is covering most of Eastern Washington, including the Columbia Basin, bumping air quality into unhealthy territory. Miles Bliss, emergency response specialist and meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the sheer amount of smoke is the main culprit. 

“Normally with less smoke, it can be cleared by being driven upward by rising, warm afternoon air and whisked away by upper-level winds,” Bliss wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “Currently the volume of smoke the region is experiencing overwhelms this atmospheric mechanism to transport it out of the region; instead, it settles each night and accumulates without moving quickly out of the region. As temperatures warm up later this week, this will continue to be an issue; fires tend to be more volatile the hotter and drier the weather gets and fires can burn more efficiently, which in turn can increase smoke production.” 

The smoke pushed air quality into the unhealthy category from Quincy to Moses Lake to Mattawa Monday afternoon, among other things causing cancellation of the Quincy Police Department’s National Night Out. Bliss said it’s forecast to get hot and windy in Eastern Washington later this week, and that increases the potential for wildfire spread and more smoke as a result. 

“Even small amounts of wind in the hot and dry conditions can increase a fire’s ability to burn efficiently. With wind speeds forecast to increase at the end of this week, occurring simultaneously with hot and dry weather, this will create more high-risk fire weather conditions,” Bliss said.  

Unhealthy air affects pretty much everybody, although people with underlying health conditions are at greater risk. Lexi Smith of the Grant County Health District said everyone should take some precautions, even if it doesn’t look like it’s all that bad out there.  

The best way to do that, she said, is to follow the recommendations from AirNow, a federal program that tracks air quality. 

“Whatever the index recommends that matches the air quality at the time,” Smith said. 

The public is advised to reduce their outdoor activities when air hits unhealthy category, according to AirNow. People are advised to take more breaks if they are outside. If air quality gets worse, AirNow advises reducing outdoor activities even more. People should reschedule outdoor activities to cooler parts of the day. 

“Be aware that sometimes the coolest part of the day can also be the smokiest part of the day,” said a GCHD information sheet. 

People may want to reconsider going outside when it’s smoky, Smith said.  

“If you must be outside for whatever reason, then wearing an N95 mask can offer some protection,” Smith said. “But it is important to remember that surgical masks and bandanas are not made to filter out smoke particles, so those masks offer little to no protection.”  

Staying indoors is the recommendation as air quality deteriorates – but it’s going to get hot too, and that adds extra considerations. 

“It does get a lot more challenging to keep your home cool and the air clean when the temperatures are heating up outside and we’re dealing with poor air quality,” Smith said. “During the day, you’re closing curtains, trying to keep the inside cool, doing what you can.” 

Cooling centers are available throughout Grant County, Smith said, including most libraries in the NCW Libraries system. More options are available at 211, she said.  

Open the windows as temperatures cool, which means smoke is going to get inside in times of poor air quality, according to the GCHD release. While both smoke and heat can be unhealthy, heat is more immediately dangerous, it said.  

If you have an air conditioner, then consider using a filter with a number 13 rating or higher, and put your settings to recirculate,” Smith said. 

Sources of open flame like candles should be avoided when the air is unhealthy outside, she said. 

“Also, when you're in your car, the same thing with the (car’s) air conditioner. Make sure that's set to recirculate, so it's not pulling bad air from outside,” Smith said. 

People should take their mental health into account as well.  

“We've been dealing with smoke for quite some time, so mental health is also something to be mindful of. Make sure you're checking in with family and friends. Keep up with your daily routine. Try to be active inside. Do something you enjoy. Just check in with your mental health as well as your physical health,” she said.