Smoke from dozens of wildfires burning across Oregon and Washington has settled over a large portion of the Pacific Northwest, prompting air quality advisories from state environmental agencies and driving some of the worst air quality seen in the region in years. Portland briefly ranked among the worst-air-quality major cities in the world at the height of the smoke event, and health advisories remain active across multiple counties.

Oregon DEQ Advisories

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued air quality advisories for several counties affected by wildfire smoke drifting from fires burning across both Oregon and Washington. The most recently announced advisory covers:

  • Crook County
  • Hood River County
  • Jefferson County
  • Southern Wasco County

Earlier advisories this month covered a much broader swath of Oregon, including the Portland metro area, with health officials noting that nearly the entire state experienced unhealthy air at various points during August as the fire season peaked. DEQ expects smoke conditions to fluctuate day to day depending on fire behavior, wind direction, and atmospheric mixing.

Southwest Washington

The Southwest Clean Air Agency issued air quality advisories for Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties in southwest Washington as smoke from Oregon wildfires drifted north and mixed with smoke from Washington fires. The Portland metro area's air quality has been significantly affected given its proximity to the Columbia River corridor, which can channel smoke from eastern Oregon fires westward.

Health Guidance

Both the Oregon Health Authority and Washington State Department of Health are urging residents to take protective action when air quality reaches Unhealthy levels (AQI 151-200) or higher:

  • Stay indoors with windows and doors closed. Use an air conditioner on recirculate mode if available.
  • Use air purifiers with HEPA filters to reduce indoor particle levels.
  • Wear an N95 or KN95 mask if you must be outdoors — standard cloth or surgical masks do not filter fine smoke particles effectively.
  • Avoid strenuous outdoor activity even when AQI is Moderate (51-100) if you are in a sensitive group.
  • Sensitive groups — including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with heart or lung disease — should limit outdoor exposure even at lower AQI levels.

Monitoring Air Quality

Real-time air quality data is available from several sources:

  • AirNow.gov — The federal air quality monitoring portal with current AQI readings by zip code.
  • OregonSmoke.org — Oregon-specific smoke forecasting and advisory information managed by Oregon DEQ.
  • PurpleAir — Community air sensor network providing hyperlocal PM2.5 readings.
  • IQAir — Real-time AQI data and health recommendations.

Smoke conditions are expected to remain variable through the end of August as fires across the region continue to burn. Significant improvement typically requires a shift in wind pattern or precipitation to wash smoke from the atmosphere. Residents should check current air quality readings before planning outdoor activities and err on the side of caution during periods of dense smoke.