Summer air quality from recent fires? (Seattle, Vancouver: live in, groceries, floor)

[notnamed]

Yeah construction work on our new house appears to have come to a halt yesterday and I'm sure today as well.

[texasdiver]

When I was growing up in the Willamette valley back in the 70s and early 80s I remember it would get like this or worse down in Eugene at the tail end of the valley. But that was mostly self-inflicted due to all the slash pile burning and burning of grass fields. Used to be that after logging out a clear cut the timber companies would bulldoze all the waste trees and slash trimmings into big piles and just burn them. There was little regulation of it. And then the rye grass farmers would set their fields on fire after harvesting to clear out all the straw and burn out the weeds. The sun would often turn red and you could feel the grit when you breathed. People complained but I don't remember any specific government air quality advisories or that sort of thing.

Seems like we had a hiatus of clean clear late summer air for about 20 years but now are back to how it used to be. When you look at current fire maps it looks like the entire western US is on fire at the moment. I don't think it ever used to be this bad.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

When I was growing up in the Willamette valley back in the 70s and early 80s I remember it would get like this or worse down in Eugene at the tail end of the valley. But that was mostly self-inflicted due to all the slash pile burning and burning of grass fields. Used to be that after logging out a clear cut the timber companies would bulldoze all the waste trees and slash trimmings into big piles and just burn them. There was little regulation of it. And then the rye grass farmers would set their fields on fire after harvesting to clear out all the straw and burn out the weeds. The sun would often turn red and you could feel the grit when you breathed. People complained but I don't remember any specific government air quality advisories or that sort of thing.

Seems like we had a hiatus of clean clear late summer air for about 20 years but now are back to how it used to be. When you look at current fire maps it looks like the entire western US is on fire at the moment. I don't think it ever used to be this bad.

It's gonna make it hard for our son to pick a college in all that gunk or us to like a neighborhood while we can't even breath.

Oh well, its good to be aware of what we're stepping into I guess. Maybe we ought to reconsider the Appalachian mountain range.

Derek

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by notnamed

We've only been here 3 years. But for each of those years this has seemed 'normal'. Summer is our least favorite season. Even staying indoors in air conditioning most of the day my eyes will be watering and headaches triggered by the smoke. Has been worse prior years with closer fires that resulted in ash fallout in town making it look like it was snowing in summer. It does indeed look like a gloomy mid-winter day right now with all the smoke cover rather than clouds. Also all that aside, the hiking trails we love are overwhelmed with no parking available.

But we're also the opposite of most folks. Rather than wanting to go seek the sun in the winter, we would rather go escape it to the southern hemisphere in our summer.

Where do you live in WA, that you were getting ash fallout from nearby fires?

[notnamed]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Where do you live in WA, that you were getting ash fallout from nearby fires?

Battle Ground

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Where do you live in WA, that you were getting ash fallout from nearby fires?

worse prior years with closer fires that resulted in ash fallout in town

~ 20 'air' miles from last yr 'Eagle Creek'. (and high wind area). We were in evacuation zone (3 miles from fire), so got serious ash (and embers). The Eagle Creek fire JUMPED over 3 miles, ACROSS the Columbia River. ('Crowning' / burning tops of trees taking a 'thermal ride' across the river.
https://www.google.com/search?q=colu...5EBWoQ_AUICygC

Of course Battleground is NEXT door to Yacolt Burn the most aggressive wildfire in WA History (239,000 acres in 36 hrs) Yacolt Burn 1902 - Clark County: A history

i.e.... BAD CA fires take 14+ days to accumulate that much acreage. Eagle Creek was bad, but 50,000 acres and took 6 weeks to burn that much. (It burned over itself 3x with wind changes.. good thing!).

This is a unique yr, but it could be repeated, and it could get MUCH worse (Sept (highest risk) yet to come). (CA is USED to fire smoke, WA is not).

Monterrey, CA... vs WA State...
There may be a lurking 'purpose' in the trip timing.

Consider this season is unusual, but so will be the 'Big One' (in CA and WA...).

And of course the upcoming Yellowstone 'event' will be unique / one time event! (as was St Helens... how many times does a Mtn blow sideways? It could have blitzed Portland OR Seattle areas, but instead went the one direction with the least collateral damage. (tho significant enough).
Now under 150' of debri.. (who would have THOUGHT?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_R._Truman

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

worse prior years with closer fires that resulted in ash fallout in town

~ 20 'air' miles from last yr 'Eagle Creek'. (and high wind area). We were in evacuation zone (3 miles from fire), so got serious ash (and embers). The Eagle Creek fire JUMPED over 3 miles, ACROSS the Columbia River. ('Crowning' / burning tops of trees taking a 'thermal ride' across the river.
https://www.google.com/search?q=colu...5EBWoQ_AUICygC

Of course Battleground is NEXT door to Yacolt Burn the most aggressive wildfire in WA History (239,000 acres in 36 hrs) Yacolt Burn 1902 - Clark County: A history

i.e.... BAD CA fires take 14+ days to accumulate that much acreage. Eagle Creek was bad, but 50,000 acres and took 6 weeks to burn that much. (It burned over itself 3x with wind changes.. good thing!).

This is a unique yr, but it could be repeated, and it could get MUCH worse (Sept (highest risk) yet to come)

Monterrey, CA... vs WA State...
There may be a lurking 'purpose' in the trip timing.

Consider this season is unusual, but so will be the 'Big One' (in CA and WA...) (CA is USED to fire smoke, WA is not).

And of course the upcoming Yellowstone 'event' will be unique / one time event! (as was St Helens... how many times does a Mtn blow sideways? It could have blitzed Portland OR Seattle areas, but instead went the one direction with the least collateral damage. (tho significant enough).
Now under 150' of debri.. (who would have THOUGHT?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_R._Truman

Thank you. That is frightening. And the Eagle Creek fire was completely unnecessary, as it was started as a dumb prank by a group of teens. Only one of the teens has had to face legal consequences , I don't know why only one, as there were witnesses to the fact that several of them were involved.

[xPlorer48]

It is very hazy and smelling of smoke in Whatcom county. We have had red suns and blood red moons during the past week. We have from friends from Whistler, B C who come here and say we are are not as bad smoke-wise as they have falling ash. Interior B C had severe lightning strikes which set off over 500 fires which were fanned by recent winds they said. I don't remember smoke as bad as this growing up and not until recently. We also now have severe fire warnings as it is so dry. Yes, even in the PNW where it is either overcast or raining, excuse me, drizzling all winter.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by xPlorer48

It is very hazy and smelling of smoke in Whatcom county. We have had red suns and blood red moons during the past week. We have from friends from Whistler, B C who come here and say we are are not as bad smoke-wise as they have falling ash. Interior B C had severe lightning strikes which set off over 500 fires which were fanned by recent winds they said. I don't remember smoke as bad as this growing up and not until recently. We also now have severe fire warnings as it is so dry. Yes, even in the PNW where it is either overcast or raining, excuse me, drizzling all winter.

Yeah, this is not the stereotypical weather problem that comes to mind when folks think of the PNW. No one, at least that I know, says they don't like the PNW because of its dry conditions and excessive fires burning as a consequence. That distinction is normally reserved for CA where we are in drought conditions year over year. Our hillsides are brown most of the year like a tinder box just waiting to burn.

Rain, rain! Where is that PNW rain (drizzle) that we so desparately need? And doesn't that same dampness help the many forests including during fire seasons like this? I know this hasn't been the norm for over decades.

Derek

[notnamed]

Yeah our first summer here was a bit of a surprise. City water conservation plans in place(voluntary for now). Every other day lawn watering, no driveway car washing, burn bans, etc. Water bill is our highest utility bill even with just two people and not watering the lawn, though that’s more a BG specific thing. Not what you expect in the Pacific Northwet.

They are calling for a break in the smoke as winds shift on Thursday. Maybe that will be the case when you get here.