Smelly, stuffy signs from a wildfire in Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest crept into Clark County early Thursday.
Wind pushed smoke westward from the Camp Creek Fire, about 25 miles east of Portland, into the metro area. A cold front washed over the region, coating the landscape with a cool, wet cover and providing relief, said Shawn Weagle, forecaster for the National Weather Service in Portland. However, with tapered wind patterns, a slight smoky scent remained.
The Southwest Clean Air Agency issued an air pollution advisory for Clark and Cowlitz counties on Thursday due to an increased level of fine particulate matter. The Air Quality Index, a scale measuring air pollution, rated most of Vancouver’s air as “moderate,” or acceptable, by late afternoon after a morning in the “unhealthy” range. Smoke drifted northbound, resulting in Longview’s air quality worsening, first rated as “unhealthy” and then “moderate” as the day passed.
With an unhealthy air rating, the agency recommends that everyone reduce their exposure and limit time outdoors. Sensitive groups — including children, older adults, people who are pregnant and those with preexisting health conditions — should be particularly careful.