Page 20 Pinedale Roundup August 31, 2018

When
smoke
gets in
your eyes
DEQ provides monitoring
to check air quality
By Robert Galbreath
rgalbreath@pinedaleroundup.com

SUBLETTE COUNTY – Dozens of wild-

fires raging across the western United States
this season have filled the skies of Sublette
County with smoke. The haze obscures the ar-
File photo
ea’s iconic mountain views and can be a health
hazard for some residents.
The Cliff Crek Fire left Bondurant smoky in 2016.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve definitely small enough to bury deep in the lungs and PM2.5 levels also vary throughout the day,
seen smoke impacting the Pinedale region,” even enter the bloodstream, the WDEQ web- and can spike to unhealthy levels. The amount
To check air quality at any of the
Cara Keslar, Ambient Air and Emission Mon- site states. The WDEQ uses PM2.5 levels as of smoke in the area depends on shifts in the monitoring stations in Wyoming
itoring Supervisor at the Wyoming Depart- one factor to determine how bad the air quality weather and behavior of a fire, Keslar said. go to: http://www.wyvisnet.com/
ment of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) told is in a region. During the 24-hour period between August 23
the Roundup. Aug. 23 was the worst day for The PM2.5 level reported on the 23rd is and 24, the PM2.5 briefly approached 55, the However, if wildfire smoke triggers symp-
smoke in Pinedale, Keslar said, when the level rated by the WDEQ as “moderate” air quality level considered unhealthy for everyone. toms, especially for those with pre-existing
of fine particular matter (PM2.5) for the 24- rather than “unhealthy,” Keslar said. But vul- Most of the smoke hanging over Sublette conditions, patients need to take action, Dr.
hour period reached 23 micrograms. nerable groups like the elderly, young children County is blown in from other states since David Kappenman, medical director of the
PM2.5 are pollutants that are smaller than and people with lung diseases, such as asthma, northwest Wyoming currently has only one Pinedale Medical Clinic said in the press re-
2.5 micrometers in diameter, and are usually can still experience health effects at this level, small fire burning near Star Valley. “To my lease. He urged vulnerable patients to take
found in smoke and haze. These particles are she explained. knowledge, much of he smoke we’re experi- their medications as prescribed and use a res-
encing in Wyoming is coming from California cue inhaler if one has been prescribed. Patients
and other states like Idaho,” Brian Hall, natural should stay indoors as much as possible and
resources program manager at WDEQ said. limit or eliminate outdoor exercise until the
More than a dozen fires are blazing in Cali- smoke clears. Kappenman cautioned patients
fornia, including the massive Mendocino Com- not to take more medication than prescribed
plex Fire that torched more than 450,000 acres, without consulting their medical provider even
destroyed 157 homes, and killed a firefighter. if they feel that their symptoms are worsening.
“Wildfire smoke can be a significant health “It is critical that if patients are experienc-
risk for those individuals with respiratory and ing new or increased symptoms and feel they
cardiac disease, as well as the very young or need additional medications or oxygen, they
elderly,” Amanda Key, practice manager for should call us and together we can determine
Sublette County Rural Health Care District told what the best treatment will be,” Kappenman
the Roundup in a press release. said. Community members can contact Sub-
Yet for most healthy adults and children, lette County’s two clinics: the Pinedale Clinic
wildfire smoke is a nuisance rather than a at 307-367-4133 or the Marbleton/Big Piney
health risk, Key said. Symptoms from wildfire Clinic at 307-276-3306.
smoke can include: difficulty breathing nor- “The good news is that while many people
mally, a cough with or without mucus, chest may have respiratory symptoms when breath-
discomfort, wheezing and shortness of breath. ing smoky air, most symptoms are short-lived
Wildfire smoke can also aggravate seasonal al- and resolve as the smoke dissipates,” Kappen-
Courtesy of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
lergies. man said. n
The graph shows the levels of fine particular matter (PM2.5) in the air
over the last two weeks at the Wyoming Department of Environmen-
tal Quality’s monitoring station near Pinedale. Fine particular matter
includes small particles from smoke and haze. A PM2.5 above 35.5
is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups like children, the elderly
and people with lung diseases. A PM2.5 above 55.5 is unhealthy for
everyone.

Courtesy of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

An image of poor air quality taken at noon on Aug. 23, at the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality’s monitoring station near Pine-
dale. Looking west toward the Wyoming Range.

Courtesy of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Incident Information Service An image of good air quality taken at noon on Aug. 28, at the Wyoming
A map of the forest fires currently burning across the western half of Department of Environmental Quality’s monitoring station near Pinedale.
the United States. Looking west toward the Wyoming Range.