Wildfires harming air quality in four Oregon counties

Planning a weekend adventure in Central or Southern Oregon? Be sure to check on air quality before heading out.

Wildfire smoke is affecting a large portion of the state, the Department of Environmental Quality said Thursday morning.

Residents and visitors in Crook, Deschutes, Klamath and Jefferson counties are urged to take precautions. High smoke levels can cause health problems even for healthy people, DEQ warned.

Lightning sparked a number of wildfires in Central Oregon over the past few days, including the 1,930-acre Akawana fire north of Sisters.

That fire is threatening 912 homes in the Three Rivers Grandview area. Residents of those homes are under a Level 2 evacuation notice, meaning they must be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

The fire is being pushed by winds of 15 to 20 mph and is burning in heavy dead and downed fuels, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported Thursday morning. The winds were expected to persist Thursday.

Smoke is also coming from wildfires burning in California.