Olympic Region Clean Air Agency

06/05/2026

06/05/2026

Smoke Ready Week, Day 5: Ease Your Mind

Smoke events aren’t just hard on your lungs—they can take a toll on your mental health, too. When the skies turn hazy, take care of yourself and check in on those around you.

Think about what helps you stay grounded and calm:
• Get plenty of rest
• Connect with friends and family
•Try calming practices like meditation, yoga, stretching, or listening to music
• Reach out for help if you’re feeling overwhelmed

Your well-being matters—especially during times of stress.

06/04/2026

Smoke Ready Week, Day 4: Keep a Plan

Wildfire smoke travels thousands of miles from its source. Even if the skies look clear, tiny particles in smoke — called PM2.5 — can still reach your area and impact your health. Children, older adults, and people with asthma, heart disease, or other health conditions are especially vulnerable.

• Protect yourself and your family by planning ahead:
• Refill essential medications
• Gather any specialized equipment you might need
• Have an evacuation plan that includes a cleaner air space
• Know who to call for help

You may never need to use your plan, but having one reduces stress and keeps you ready.

06/03/2026

ORCAA Inspectors recently visited The Evergreen State College.

06/03/2026

Smoke Ready Week, Day 3: Optimize Your

Keeping your indoor air clean is one of the best ways to stay safe during wildfire smoke events. You can create a clean room in your home with a few simple steps:

• Close windows and doors
• Run an air purifier with a HEPA filter
• Avoid burning candles, incense, or scented products
• Skip cooking methods that create smoke or strong smells

When you need to shelter indoors, these strategies can make your home more comfortable — for both people and pets. Your heart and lungs will thank you!

06/03/2026

It's Smoke Ready Week, Day 3 – Optimize your Air!

Keeping your indoor air clean is one of the best ways to stay safe during wildfire smoke events. You can create a clean room in your home with a few simple steps:

• Close windows and doors
• Run an air purifier with a HEPA filter
• Avoid burning candles, incense, or scented products
• Skip cooking methods that create smoke or strong smells

When you need to shelter indoors, these strategies can make your home more comfortable—for both people and pets. Your heart and lungs will thank you!

06/02/2026

Smoke Ready Week, Day 2: Minimize Exposure!

If you or someone in your family is sensitive to air pollution or has a health condition, talk with your healthcare provider before wildfire season begins. You may benefit from using an N95 respirator or other particulate mask during smoky conditions.

Now’s the time to gather protective gear and refill medications so they’re ready when you need them. Planning ahead makes it easier to protect your health when the smoke rolls in.

Learn more at ORCAA's Wildfire Smoke page

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency enforces clean air laws in Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties.

06/01/2026

Smoke Ready Week, Day 1: Stay Informed

Wildfire smoke can blow in quickly and linger. Stay a step ahead of poor air quality by checking daily forecasts and air quality indexes (AQI) from reliable sources like AirNow or your local health department.

The EPA’s Fire & Smoke Map (fire.airnow.gov) gives you the big picture—where fires are burning, where smoke is headed, and how it’s impacting air quality—all in one place. When you know what’s coming, it’s easier to plan your day and protect your health.

https://www.orcaa.org/air-quality/wildfire-smoke/

05/26/2026

Tired of dealing with hauling firewood into the house all winter, and then struggling with an overly warm house come summer?

It might be time to ditch the wood stove and install a new heat pump system. Whether a new ductless heat pump or a ducted version, you get great, gentle heat in the winter and cooling in the summer! And best of all, ORCAA offers financial incentives to make the switch away from old, uncertified wood stoves!

https://www.orcaa.org/burning/indoor-wood-heating/wood-smoke-reduction-program/

This Wood Stove Recycling Incentive is available for residents of all six counties within ORCAA’s jurisdiction: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties.

05/18/2026

Ozone season is officially here

May marks the start of the summer ozone season. ORCAA monitors ozone at the NCore site near Neah Bay and at the James P Werner Air Monitoring Station in Lacey. Last week, the Dept of Ecology Quality Assurance team performed a passing audit on our ozone monitors, ensuring our data are valid and collected following state and federal protocols.

To meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set by EPA, ozone concentration cannot exceed 70 parts per billion (PPB) when averaged over 8 hours. At high concentrations, ozone inflames lung and throat tissue, causing sore throat, asthma, and increasing COPD symptoms. Sunshine, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and NO2, emitted primarily from automobiles, work together to form ozone. Heat speeds the formation of ozone, and we therefore see the highest ozone concentrations on hot, sunny summer days. At night, NO destroys ozone in the atmosphere. Wind carries the ozone observed at Bahokas Peak from nearby cities.

With very few automobiles emitting NO and NO2, ozone concentrations remain relatively stable there. In contrast, NO removes atmospheric ozone most nights in Lacey. 40 PPB is a normal background ozone concentration for this time of year.