Jefferson County residents have spent much of August breathing smoky air, and while conditions have improved from the worst stretches of the season, health officials are reminding the community that the threat is not over.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued an air quality advisory for Crook, Jefferson, eastern Umatilla, northern Union, and southern Wasco counties on August 21, citing smoke from multiple fires burning across Oregon and Washington. That advisory has since expired, and the Madras area is currently reading in the Moderate range (AQI around 56) — an improvement from the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Unhealthy levels recorded during peak fire activity earlier this month.

What Moderate AQI Means for You

An AQI of 51–100 is classified as Moderate by the EPA. For most healthy adults, outdoor activity is generally fine. However, unusually sensitive individuals — particularly people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and young children — may experience symptoms and should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.

  • General public: Outdoor activity is acceptable; watch for symptoms like coughing or shortness of breath
  • Sensitive groups: Consider reducing long outdoor workouts; keep windows closed during peak smoke hours
  • Everyone: Keep N95 or KN95 masks accessible — conditions can shift quickly as remaining fires are worked

A Smoky Season by the Numbers

Jefferson County has been under at least five separate DEQ air quality advisories since July, driven primarily by the Rowe Creek Complex, the Bench Fire, and fires burning across the Cascades and into Washington. Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that penetrates deep into lungs and can trigger respiratory and cardiovascular events.

The Warm Springs Reservation and surrounding rural areas of Jefferson County are particularly vulnerable during smoke events, as many residents lack air conditioning and sealed buildings that help filter outdoor air.

Protecting Yourself at Home

DEQ and Oregon Health Authority recommend the following during any smoke event:

  • Run air purifiers with HEPA filters indoors
  • Create a clean room in your home with windows sealed and an air purifier running
  • Avoid vacuuming, which can stir up fine particles already settled indoors
  • Check airnow.gov or oregonsmoke.org for daily local readings

Jefferson County residents can also text their zip code to 898-211 for air quality text alerts. With multiple fires still burning at reduced containment levels across the region, fire managers say smoke episodes remain possible through September.