Washington County has a unique land shape. Some people call it a bowl because polluted air tends to sink and stick around. Some things that contribute to poor air quality include emissions from diesel construction equipment and road vehicles, ground-level ozone (also known as smog), wood burning in the winter, and wildfire smoke in the summer.
Everyone is affected by poor air quality, but some people are impacted even more. This includes children and infants, people who are pregnant, people with existing heart and lung conditions, people who work outdoors, and older adults.
There are things you can do to protect your and your family’s health when the air quality is poor. Visit the pages below to learn more.
- Keep an eye on the air quality index at Airnow.
- Find wildfire smoke resources in multiple languages on Oregon Health Authority's website.
Additional information:
Wood Burning and Air Quality Rules
Open Burning
Wood Stove Exchange Program
EPA's Burn Wise website