Health Department extends mandatory wood burning restriction due to air pollution from wildfire smoke

October 10, 2022

Monday, Oct. 10, 2022

Media Contact: Ryan Yambra, ryan.yambra@multco.us

Health Department extends mandatory wood burning restriction due to air pollution from wildfire smoke

Forecasts call for continuous wildfire smoke and poor air quality through Friday; Multnomah County requires people refrain from burning wood until advisory is lifted. 

Air quality on Monday, Oct. 10 ranged between the "moderate" and "unhealthy for sensitive groups" categories in Multnomah County

Wildfire smoke from across the Pacific Northwest entered the Portland Metro area this weekend leading health officials to extend a mandatory wood burning restriction for Multnomah County residents today, Monday, Oct. 10. This restriction does not apply to cooking. Exemptions are available for those in emergency situations.

Today, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has also issued an air quality advisory for continuous smoke in the Portland metro area. Conditions are expected to vary with intermittent smoke getting trapped in our area through Friday.

Health officials will be monitoring the situation with County partners. The air quality burn restriction will be lifted when conditions improve. Burn restrictions are posted at multco.us/woodsmokestatus. This is the second wood-burning restriction this month – also called a red day – and the seventh since the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners extended the County’s wood smoke curtailment ordinance year-round in February 2022. 

As air quality has worsened over the last few days, the Multnomah County Health Department issued voluntary burning advisories on Oct. 7 and 8, and a mandatory burn restriction on Oct. 9. Today, Oct. 10, most of Multnomah County is in the moderate (yellow) and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (orange) air quality index (AQI) categories. 

Protect your health and reduce pollution indoors by turning on your air filter or learn how to build one. Visit multco.us/wildfiresmoke to learn more. 

People at risk

People at the greatest risk of complications from smoke exposure include pregnant women, children, people with pre-existing heart disease, people with chronic lung disease, and older individuals.

People who work outdoors are also at elevated risk. Employers should visit Oregon OSHA for requirements and recommendations to protect employee health.

What should you do

Keep windows and doors closed (if temperatures allow). If it is too hot indoors, seek cooler indoor air. 

  • If spending time outside, avoid strenuous exercise outdoors. 
  • If available, set AC to recirculate air, use an air cleaner with a HEPA filter, or build your own DIY air cleaner. 
  • Listen to your body and watch for any symptoms of smoke exposure.
  • Keep an eye on air quality near you (links to air quality maps below or on our website.)

When air quality improves and reaches the yellow or green level on the Air Quality Index, even temporarily, air out your home to reduce indoor air pollution. People in homes that are too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, or who are at-risk of smoke-related health effects, should seek shelter elsewhere.

Know the symptoms

The symptoms of wildfire smoke most reported include scratchy throat, stinging or watery eyes, stuffy nose, sinus irritation, coughing, trouble breathing, and tiredness or dizziness.

Mild symptoms of smoke exposure often include:

  • Cough
  • Headache
  • Burning eyes
  • Sore throat
  • Phlegm production
  • Changes in breathing

Dry cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing are common to both wildfire smoke exposure and COVID-19. Contact your doctor if you believe you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

ut smoke exposure can also cause serious and life-threatening respiratory distress, including heart attacks and strokes. If you’re in distress, you should immediately dial 9-1-1.

Gauging air quality

To find air quality information visit: 

  • Oregon Smoke Blog: Local, state, tribal and federal organizations coordinate to share information about wildfires and smoke.
  • Oregon Air Quality map: The state Department of Environmental Quality updates a map of current air quality. Due to high traffic, the site can slow or crash. The sites below offer good alternatives.
  • EPA Air Quality map: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pulls real-time air quality data from Oregon and Washington States. 
  • State of Oregon Fires Map: The Oregon Office of Emergency Management updates a map of active fires, air quality and closures.

Visibility

If you can’t access AQI information, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality shares this 5-3-1 visibility index to help estimate smoke levels:

  • Five miles: air quality is generally good.
  • Three to five miles: air quality is unhealthy for young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with heart or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness. 
  • Less than three miles: air quality is unhealthy for everyone.
  • Less than one mile: air quality is unhealthy for everyone.

Your body

Healthy people affected by smoke may have only mild symptoms. But healthy people may also have underlying health conditions that put them at risk. Listen to your body’s cues:

If your eyes are burning, if your throat is sore, if your lungs are having a hard time expanding, if you are coughing, stay inside and focus on creating a “Clean Room” where the air is as clean as possible.

Wood Burning Violations

To report a suspected violation of a mandatory burn restriction and smoke from a recreational fire, contact Multnomah County Environmental Health:

Stay Informed of wood burning restrictions: 

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