Residents of Jefferson County are waking up to smoky skies this week and can expect the haze to linger through at least Wednesday afternoon. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory on Monday, Aug. 31, covering Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, eastern Marion, and southern Wasco counties. The advisory is driven by smoke from multiple active wildfires burning across Oregon.

DEQ expects the advisory to remain in place until at least Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the afternoon for Jefferson County and most other listed areas. Deschutes County will transition to an intermittent smoke advisory earlier, on Tuesday evening, Sept. 1.

What This Means for Residents

An air quality advisory indicates that smoke concentrations are elevated enough to affect sensitive groups and, during peak periods, the general public. DEQ and public health officials recommend the following precautions:

  • Sensitive groups — including people with asthma, heart or lung conditions, the elderly, children, and pregnant women — should avoid prolonged outdoor activity
  • All residents should reduce strenuous outdoor exertion during periods of heaviest smoke
  • Keep windows and doors closed when smoke is heavy; use air conditioning or air purifiers with HEPA filters if available
  • If you must be outdoors for extended periods, a properly fitted N95 respirator can reduce smoke inhalation
  • Never use generators, gas stoves, or camp stoves indoors to compensate for heat — carbon monoxide is an additional hazard

Fire Activity Behind the Smoke

The smoke blanketing Jefferson County is coming from several large wildfires burning across Oregon and the broader Pacific Northwest. As of late August, containment remained limited across many of the region’s largest fires, with fire weather conditions — hot temperatures, low humidity, and erratic winds — continuing to hamper suppression efforts.

Closer to home, the Akawa Butte Fire, which prompted concern earlier in the week, achieved containment around structures in the affected area, and mop-up crews have been making progress deeper into the fire perimeter. Residents in affected evacuation areas should continue monitoring Jefferson County Emergency Management and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management for the latest level updates.

Air Quality Resources

Jefferson County residents can track real-time air quality conditions through several free tools:

  • oregonsmoke.org — Oregon DEQ’s dedicated wildfire smoke information site
  • AirNow.gov — EPA air quality index by zip code
  • PurpleAir.com — crowdsourced local sensor data, including monitors in the Madras area

DEQ and partner agencies are monitoring conditions continuously and will update the advisory as conditions change. Residents are encouraged to check oregonsmoke.org for the latest information before planning outdoor activities through the end of the week.