As students in King County public schools log into their online classes this winter, researchers from the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) are stepping into their temporarily empty classrooms to study air quality.
As smoke from wildfires on the West Coast makes its way across the US, it’s becoming clear that our future will involve coexistence with fire.
As wildfire smoke fills the sky up and down the west coast, experts advise people to stay inside to avoid the
When Jake asked me to go on a sunset hike, I knew what was coming. We were in our favorite place: the Methow Valley of Eastern Washington. When we crested the top of the mountain, a few sunrays peeked through the clouds, lighting up the fertile valley below.
Still, when he got down on one knee, I was surprised, and overcome with happiness. Life seemed full of promise.
As wildfires spread across the Pacific Northwest last summer, the Seattle area briefly earned the dubious honor of being one of the most polluted cities on earth.
The EDGE Community Engagement Core partnered with Clean Air Methow, and Anna Humphreys, a UW Public Health graduate student, to support communities in the Methow Valley during wildfire smoke events. This pamphlet sums up what Methow Valley community members said they felt during wildfire smoke events. It also suggests responses to their needs based on interviews and official information sources. We hope this pamphlet can be tailored to help other communities cope with their own wildfire smoke events.
A two-sided handout developed in response to community concern during and following the Carlton Complex wildfire in Okanogan County eastern Washington in August, 2014. It is aimed for a public audience and for people who, because of age or health conditions are more susceptible to the health effects of smoke. Includes a list of strategies to protect yourself from wildfire smoke and re-suspended ash as well as links to more information.
As Central Washington became choked with wildfire smoke last summer, Dr. Mark Larson grew so concerned about air quality measures in Kittitas County that he couldn’t sleep for 10 days.
As the health officer for Kittitas County, Larson felt it was his duty to recommend canceling outdoor activities. But as a 20-year community resident, he also knew that the Kittitas Rodeo was right around the corner—a nationally known event that can bring in more than $8 million to the local economy in a single weekend.
Typically, summer in the Methow Valley is a time to hike, bike, camp, river raft, mountain climb, attend outdoor arts festivals, and otherwise enjoy the spectacular natural setting.
Lately, things are different. Wildfire season has hit the Methow Valley hard the last five years, causing hazardous smoke conditions that can persist for weeks on end, often making residents feel trapped and isolated.
