WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Air quality monitoring stations around Whatcom County began reporting a significant decrease in air quality in foothills communities this morning, August 12th.
As of 10am, air quality was within the UNHEALTHY range in the foothills communities while areas to the west continued to be in the GOOD range.
Whatcom County has mostly avoided significant wildfire smoke this summer due to westerly marine flow winds. But winds shifted overnight, becoming east-northeasterly pulling in wildfire smoke from eastern Washington and British Columbia into Whatcom County areas.
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Jason Van der Veen said they have been inundated this morning by calls to 911 reporting smoke that have turned out to be false alarms.