Smoke from wildfires in eastern Washington has once again been swept into Puget Sound and made an appearance in Whatcom County today. Areas in the southern Puget Sound area began reporting air quality in the MODERATE to UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS (WAQA scale) range early this morning.
NW Clean Air Agency air quality monitoring stations in the Ferndale area reported air quality in the GOOD range even while the haze became visible to the naked eye. About 4pm, the Custer/Loomis Trail Road station began reporting MODERATE air quality.
When air quality is in the MODERATE range, people with asthma, respiratory infection, diabetes, lung or heart disease, or have had a stroke are advised to limit outdoor activities or do activities that take less effort, such as walking instead of running.
Firefighters across Whatcom County responded to over 10 calls today to investigate reports of smoke.
According to National Weather Service forecasters, “Smoke from fires over the Cascades will continue to affect the Puget Sound lowlands tonight. Models suggest the smoke will push east of the area Sunday as westerly flow kicks in.”