Smoke from the July 15th lightning fires is having an impact on the region's air quality. It's a typical situation, just earlier than usual in the year. Medford, Shady Cove, and Klamath Falls all showed smoke levels into the "Unhealthy" range at various times of the day Wednesday. But breezy conditions alternately scoured out the smoke and brought in more.
By 6 PM, Medford was back in the "Unhealthy" zone, while the air in Ashland and Klamath Falls fell into the "Moderate" range. Shady Cove reported "Good" air.
The breezy conditions figure to cause concerns for firefighters. The forecast for the area of the Hendrix fire, in the mountains southwest of Ashland, called for daytime wind gusts up to 22 MPH, with evening gusts up to 34 MPH.
The National Weather Service office in Medford issued an air quality alert through 11 AM Thursday, warning that air issues could continue for the foreseeable future.
