Smoke & air quality
This page is not a live tracker. Conditions change hour to hour, so check the tools below for what the air is doing right now where you are.
As of August 6, 2026
Air quality is unhealthy across much of the Pacific Northwest. Portland has been rated Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, and Seattle has seen smoky conditions worsen through the week. A pattern change is expected to bring rapid improvement to Seattle and Portland by Friday as cooler, cleaner air moves in, though smoke will stay dense closer to the fires themselves in eastern Washington and Oregon, and shifting winds could also spread existing fires further. Always check current conditions using the tools below rather than relying on this summary.
Sources: weather.com, OPB, KOMO News
Check current air quality
Each card opens the source in a new tab.
- National (EPA)AirNowThe EPA's national air quality map and forecast. Type in a ZIP code for the current AQI near you.www.airnow.gov
- WashingtonWashington EnviWAWashington Department of Ecology's monitoring network, with current readings and next-day forecasts.enviwa.ecology.wa.gov/mobile/#Forecast
- OregonOregon DEQ Air Quality IndexOregon Department of Environmental Quality's statewide AQI map, updated hourly from state monitors.aqi.oregon.gov
Understanding the AQI scale
The Air Quality Index is a single number summarizing how polluted the air is right now.
0 to 50: Good
Air quality is satisfactory. No precautions needed.
51 to 100: Moderate
Acceptable for most people. Unusually sensitive people may want to limit long outdoor exertion.
101 to 150: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should limit time outdoors.
151 to 200: Unhealthy
Everyone may start to feel effects. Sensitive groups will feel them more seriously.
201 to 300: Very Unhealthy
A health alert. Everyone should avoid outdoor activity.
301 and above: Hazardous
Emergency conditions. Everyone is at risk. Stay indoors, or leave the area if you can.
Sources: EPA AirNow, Oregon DEQ
Protecting yourself and your family
- Stay indoors with windows and doors closed when the AQI is unhealthy or worse.
- Create a clean room. Pick one room, keep it sealed, and run a portable HEPA air cleaner. If you don't have a proper air purifier, a box fan with a MERV-13 or better filter taped to the intake works surprisingly well.
- Set your home HVAC and your car's air system to recirculate rather than pulling in outside air.
- Avoid outdoor exertion. Reschedule exercise indoors.
- Wear a properly fitted N95 or P100 respirator if you have to be outside for any length of time. Cloth and surgical masks don't filter smoke particles.
- Keep pets indoors too. Smoke affects them the same way it affects you.
- People with asthma, COPD, or heart disease, along with older adults, children, and pregnant people, should take extra precaution, and consider leaving the area if air quality stays hazardous for an extended period.
- Watch for symptoms: coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue. Seek medical attention if they're severe.
Where to go next
For the fire situation itself, evacuation levels, and official alerts, see Live Info & Alerts.
If the smoke and the fires are wearing you down, the Disaster Distress Helpline is free, confidential, and open around the clock. You'll find it on the home page and on Live Info & Alerts.