Air Quality Alert Extended Due to Smoke, Haze--Unhealthy

Fires causing smoke in our region (Benton County Fire District 1)

The National Weather Service (NWS) Tuesday morning issued an air quality alert, by way of the Department of Ecology (DOE).

Air quality considered "unhealthy" in 6 area counties

According to the DOE, NWS, and the Benton Clean Air Agency, our air quality is in the "red" zone, which is unhealthy. Green is normal, yellow is moderate, and red is unhealthy. Then it goes to purple which is very unhealthy, and maroon, which is hazardous.

According to the NWS:

"The Washington State Department of Ecology has issued an Air Quality
Alert...in effect until 1 PM PDT Wednesday.

A Smoke Air Quality Alert has been issued. Wildfires burning in the
region combined with forecasted conditions will cause air quality to
reach unhealthy levels."

Red ranges from 151 to 200, which is a number indicating the amount of particulates or smoke in the air.

According to the three monitoring stations in our region, we are in the lower end of red. The 'worst' air quality in Benton and Franklin Counties was registered at the Mesa monitoring station north of Pasco, it was at 170.

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The other monitoring stations are on Clodfelter Road west of Kennewick, on Metaline in Kennewick near Tri-Tech, and there is one in Burbank, WA.

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