Seven States Are Under Air Quality Alerts Due to Wildfires in the West

Seven states in the West are under air quality alerts due to raging wildfires which have burned over 2.5 million acres and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, currently there are 92 large fires burning in the U.S. and the smoke has put thousands of people under poor air quality alerts. As of this morning according to the National Weather Service, California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana have each issued their own air quality alerts.

In Nevada, Washoe County saw its poorest air quality record two days in a row according to county health officials. The average air quality index for that area reached 251 on Sunday which is considered ‘very unhealthy’ and 291 on Monday. For reference, a good score is between zero and fifty. Smoke will continue to linger in that area for the rest of the week. residents in the 7 states with air quality alerts have been encouraged to stay inside with their windows closed.