Wildfire smoke leads to orange air-quality alert, burn ban for Boise area on Sunday
With wildfires burning in Idaho, Oregon and California, plumes of smoke are taking a toll on air quality in the Treasure Valley.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued an “orange/unhealthy for sensitive groups” air quality advisory for Sunday, Aug. 23. The advisory of degraded air quality is for residents of Ada, Adams, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley and Washington counties.
“Hourly air quality values may range from the moderate (Yellow) to the unhealthy (Red) through the day with higher values expected in the morning and evening,” the DEQ wrote in a news release. “Smoke impacts are expected to continue into the beginning of next week.”
The forecasted air quality index — or AQI — is 130, and the pollutants of concern are fine particulate matter and ozone, according to the DEQ.
The advisory bans all forms of outdoor open burning in Ada County and the cities within by municipal and county ordinance and in the incorporated cities within Canyon County by municipal ordinance when the AQI reaches 60 or above.
All open outdoor burning is prohibited in unincorporated portions of Canyon County when the AQI reaches 75 or above. Indoor/wood burning is restricted when the AQI reaches 74 or above.
When the air quality alert reaches orange, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects, and everyone should limit exertion outdoors. The DEQ advises mowing your lawn after the alert is over to reduce ozone forming chemicals put in the air by gasoline-powered lawn mowers.
Residents are advised to limit driving, unnecessary trips and idling your vehicle.
This story was originally published August 22, 2020 at 4:11 PM.
