Smoke from dozens of wildfires across Oregon, Washington, and neighboring states is blanketing much of the Pacific Northwest with unhealthy air, prompting a wave of air quality advisories from state environmental agencies. Health officials are urging residents — particularly children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with respiratory or heart conditions — to limit outdoor exposure and stay indoors when possible.

Oregon Air Quality Advisories

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued air quality advisories for multiple counties across the state due to smoke from active fires. Advisories are currently in effect or have recently been in effect for:

  • Crook, Jefferson, and Wasco counties — Central Oregon counties most directly impacted by smoke from fires on the east side of the Cascades.
  • Wallowa County — Northeastern Oregon, affected by smoke drifting from fires along the Idaho and Washington borders.
  • Union and Umatilla counties — Smoke from the Hagen and Paradise fires in the area has triggered advisories for residents in La Grande, Pendleton, and surrounding communities.

The Oregon Smoke Information blog at oregonsmoke.org provides updated smoke forecasts and advisories. When an advisory is in effect, outdoor activities — especially vigorous exercise — should be avoided or moved indoors.

Washington Air Quality

Washington has faced some of the worst air quality events of the 2026 season. The Little Giant Fire in Chelan County drove the AQI in Leavenworth above 849 earlier this month — more than seven times the index's traditional maximum of 500, a reading so extreme that Washington's Department of Labor and Industries shut down transit services under worker safety rules. Central Washington communities from Wenatchee to Chelan have experienced extended periods of "Hazardous" air quality.

The Washington Smoke Blog and the state's Department of Ecology air quality monitoring network provide real-time data for communities across the state. The Puget Sound region, while less directly impacted, has also experienced smoke intrusion during periods of easterly wind flow.

Regional Smoke Patterns

Smoke from Pacific Northwest wildfires is not staying local. The Statesman Journal's wildfire smoke tracker notes that smoke plumes from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana are drifting northward and eastward, contributing to a broader regional smoke layer. Fires in California, Nevada, and Arizona are adding to the smoke burden over the western United States.

The National Weather Service is tracking smoke density forecasts alongside fire weather outlooks, with the plume model showing heaviest smoke concentrations in inland valleys and basins where topography can trap smoke overnight and in the morning hours.

Protecting Yourself from Wildfire Smoke

Health officials recommend these steps to reduce smoke exposure:

  • Stay indoors with windows and doors closed when smoke is heavy.
  • Run air conditioners on recirculate mode rather than drawing in outside air.
  • Use portable air purifiers with HEPA filters in your home if available.
  • Wear an N95 or KN95 respirator if you must be outdoors — cloth masks do not filter smoke particles effectively.
  • Check AirNow.gov or your state DEQ website for current air quality readings before outdoor activities.
  • Create a clean air room in your home — a room with an air purifier where family members can spend time when outdoor air is poor.

Current air quality across the Pacific Northwest can be monitored at AirNow.gov, oregonsmoke.org, and the Washington Smoke Blog.