Current Twin Falls ID Air Equivalent To Multiple Cigarettes A Day

For those that have noticed an increase in smoke throughout the Magic Valley over the past 48 hours due to multiple wildfires, the conditions are also contributing to a steady decline in air quality.

Tuesday morning at about 3 A.M., I awoke in my Twin Falls' home to a very overpowering scent of smoke. It was so bad, that I checked other rooms to make sure nothing was burning within the house. It was area wildfire smoke coming in from our back screen door, and the wind was forcing it in.

To put it about as simple as I can, the western United States is ablaze presently. There are dozens of wildfires burning throughout the Pacific Northwest and down into California. There are currently more than 20 wildfires in Idaho alone, which are contributing to the poor air quality those of us in the south are experiencing.

Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Washington and California, combined, have fire crews battling over 60 active incidents. A 2020 Stanford University study shared by courthousenews.com, determined that citizens in states that are being heavily exposed to a combination of different wildfire hydrocarbons and oxides produce air quality that is equivalent to smoking several cigarettes a day.

I walked over to the nearby Oregon Trail Youth Baseball Complex and took some photos. You definitely don't want to be out running the bases on a day like this.

What does this mean? It means, that those with compromised immune systems should be doing everything in their power to avoid being outdoors right now. Small children are at risk as well. Hoarseness and headaches are two common symptoms of smoke exposure, so just try to limit the amount of outdoor activity you are doing until the air quality starts to improve.

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