As the fire season progresses, we are dealing with smoky, hazy air, as are many across the state. But, where is the best or worst air quality?
Benton Clean Air Agency Has Issued a Number of Alerts
Most of the alerts concern persons with respiratory issues. We checked the readings from the Clean Air Monitoring Stations from across the region, at various times Monday.
Benton Clean Air issued several warnings for unhealthy air for persons with respiratory issues.
The five clean air monitoring stations are located on Maple Street in Burbank, Finley Middle School, on the roof of Tri-Tech on Metaline in Kennewick, Clodfelter Road Kennewick, and on Highland Drive in Prosser.
The Agency Itself is Located on Steptoe in Kennewick.
How Have the Readings Been?
The bulk of the readings have been upper levels of Moderate. The ratings are Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous.
As of Monday evening the ‘worst’ readings were in Prosser, four of the five monitoring stations were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups–those with respiratory issues.
Weather Has a Lot to Do With It
The conditions at the various monitoring stations depend on weather. You may have currents of air pushing smoke in Burbank, but not in Prosser. The levels of pollution vary as these weather patterns shift.
The color goes from green, to yellow, to orange, red and purple. The last time we hit red and purple widespread was the 2015 season, which was the worst fire season in WA state history, with over 1 million acres of land burned. That’s just over 1,567 square miles.
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