The Benton Clean Air Agency has issued an air quality alert, as of 11AM Monday, August 3rd.
Air Quality Unhealthy for Those With Respiratory Issues
According to information released by Deon Steichen, Air Quality Specialist, our readings in Benton County, and the Columbia Basin are considered upper-level Moderate, but for those who have respiratory issues, Unhealthy.
Everyone is urged to limit outdoor actvities as the skies are again filled with smoke, and Monday morning’s sunrise was a red ball in the sky.
Where’s the Smoke Coming From?
Usually, we get winds coming up from SW Washington, up the Columbia Gorge from Portland and sweeping across the Columbia Basin, but according to the WA State Washington Smoke Blog, those North and Northwest shifts we’ve been seeing have pushed smoke from upper Central WA and even the Spokane region back down in our area.
Benton Clean Air has air quality monitors from Burbank and Finley all the way to Prosser, and they regularly release updates every few hours, especially during situations like our NW Wildfire season.
Keep watching for more details about smoke activity. We will update.