Oregon extends wildfire smoke advisory as air quality worsens

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has extended an air‑quality advisory to more than 10 counties amid persistent wildfire smoke. DEQ maintains a network of over 70 monitoring stations, while the private PurpleAir network adds community‑sourced sensors. Differences in equipment and airflow can cause varying AQI readings, so officials advise residents to view data over broader time and geography and to follow the same precautions for unhealthy and hazardous levels—stay indoors, limit strenuous activity, and consider wearing a mask.

Dr. Ian Smith, head of pulmonary medicine at St. Charles Health System, reports a rise in calls from patients with chronic lung conditions and notes symptoms such as eye irritation, cough, fatigue, headache and a “hangover‑like” feeling among the general public. He urges people to limit exposure to outdoor smoke and to improve indoor air quality to reduce health impacts.