North Idaho blanketed by smoke
Smoke from fires in Washington, Canada and Oregon blanketed North Idaho on Friday morning. Tim Smith took this sunrise photo with is iPhone from his balcony in Riverstone. (Photo courtesy TIM SMITH)
By BRIAN WALKER
Hagadone News Network
COEUR d'ALENE — North Idaho fire danger was elevated to high on Friday as smoke from other areas blanketed Kootenai County — stark reminders that wildfire season has returned blazingly and at times, blindingly.
"The smoke is coming from Washington and British Columbia," said Ralph Paul, airshed coordinator with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in Coeur d'Alene. "There's a large fire at Vantage (near Ellensburg, Wash.)."
To a smaller extent, some smoke also drifted in from the Upriver Beacon fire in Spokane Valley, where crews continue to tend to hot spots.
Air quality in Coeur d'Alene on Friday morning reached the "unhealthy" mark.
Unhealthy is the third-worst category, ahead of only “very unhealthy” and "hazardous."
With unhealthy air quality, everyone may begin to experience health effects and members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
By afternoon, air quality climbed into the "moderate" stage, thanks to wind and warmer temperatures.
Shawn Sweetapple, IDEQ's regional air quality manager in Coeur d'Alene, said with continued hot temperatures and no precipitation in the forecast, similar patterns are expected this weekend.
"The nights and mornings may still be unhealthy," he said, adding he'd be surprised if the air quality worsens from there.
Sweetapple said sensitive groups may consider curtailing their outdoor activities when the air is unhealthy.
"But for the general population, ‘unhealthy’ doesn't impact people that much," he said.
Sweetapple said people naturally want to be outside during the sunny weather, but they should be aware of the air and know that conditions can change quickly.
"If you can't quite see the mountains across the lake it may not be the best time to be exerting yourself hard," he said.
Shoshana Cooper, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service, said most of the fires in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest have been 3 acres or less.
With the high fire danger, the public is asked to be vigilant about making sure campfires are cold to the touch when they’re put out.
"There was an abandoned fire at Fernan Saddle this week, so there's obviously more need for education," Cooper said.
Shane O'Shea, of the Idaho Department of Lands, said 80 to 85 percent of the fires on state lands are human-caused.
"Most of the fires in Washington and Oregon were caused by lightning," he said.
O'Shea said the snowpack persisted in the mountains longer this year, which created a large growth of brush and fuels.
"Now we're seeing that dry out, which means more fuels," he said.
O'Shea said there is a burn ban on slash piles and burn barrels through Oct. 20. Campfires and cooking are still permitted.