How to cope with wildfire smoke
On the morning of July 30, air quality in St. Regis was listed at moderate. By the evening dense smoke blanketed the valley and air quality conditions decreased to very unhealthy. From the hill near the Nugget Campground in town residents looking over Interstate 90 can easily see Boyd Mountain in the distance on a clear day, here you can barely see its outline. (Amy Quinlivan/Mineral Independent)
For nearly four weeks Mineral County and other surrounding valleys in Montana have been contending with unhealthy air quality from wildfire smoke.
Hazy skies have plagued the region since early July when a storm system produced hundreds of lightning strikes across western Montana and numerous fires exploded around the state.
In addition to local fire activity, several large fires on the west coast in Oregon, California, and Washington continue to emit large plumes of smoke into the jet stream overhead.
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Montana Department of Health and Human Services closely monitors air quality and provides daily updates for residents.
Air monitoring stations in various locations around the state track the potential health effect from air quality ranging from good, unhealthy, and all the way to hazardous.
The two nearest air quality monitoring stations to Mineral County are in Thompson Falls and Missoula. From July 9-30, air quality ratings were only rated at good or moderate for three days in that time period. The rest registered between moderate to unhealthy.
Amy Lommen, with the Mineral County Health Department, had some recommendations.
“We would encourage our community members to pay close attention to the air quality and make decisions about outdoor activity based on their individual circumstances," Lommen said. "Given the likelihood of higher temperatures and the wildfire activity both locally and in neighboring states, it might not be a bad idea to dust off that game of scrabble in case air quality continues to worsen.”
Although the area has seen a few smoke free days here and there, the outlook for the rest of the summer may prove to be the same hazy conditions. So certain individuals need take precautions when spending time outdoors.
“When air quality is unhealthy, active children and adults, and people who have a chronic condition, such as asthma or another respiratory disease, or cardiovascular disease, and pregnant women should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion,” Lommen said.
“If the air quality is poor, keep your indoor air clean by keeping all doors and windows shut and setting any air conditioning units to recirculate indoor air. Utilizing a HEPA air cleaner indoors can reduce overall smoke exposure,” Lommen said. The “Outdoor Activity Guidelines Based on Air Quality” has useful strategies specifically for this. Decisions can be made with this chart based on one’s own health, local visibility, and planned activity to determine when it is and isn’t safe to be outside.”
It’s recommended that people work with their doctor on advice about specific health situations.
“The EPA's color-coded Air Quality Index can help with decision-making as well when particle levels are high," Lommen said. "See the Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution for specific steps you can take.”
Lommen added that when air quality is unhealthy, DPHHS and DEQ urges Montanans and visitors to consider the following tips to protect their health:
• Before heading outside for any physical activity, check for air quality updates and pay attention to any hazardous air quality advisories. Air quality information is updated regularly at https://svc.mt.gov/deq/todaysair/.
• When wildfires occur, continue to monitor DEQ’s site for changes in air quality.
• Pay attention to visibility. How far can you see in the distance? Looking at visibility can help estimate air quality.
• Do not perform any activities that will add to indoor pollution.
• Use the air recirculate feature in vehicles when possible.
• If traveling, be aware of the air quality in the area and have a back-up plan.
• For information about how to protect your health during wildfire season, go to https://dphhs.mt.gov/airquality.
Currently the closest fires to Mineral County are the Idaho Stateline Complex fire which is a series of blazes west of the state border and up over the Little Joe Road going to Avery, Idaho.
More than 300 personnel are based at a fire camp just outside of St. Regis. Although the fire is on the Idaho side it is best accessed from Montana.
Another large fire nearby is the fast-growing Thorne Creek Fire by Thompson Falls.