Wildfire Smoke Blankets Portland Metro Area, Air Quality Reaches Hazardous Levels

Smoke from wildfires burning across Oregon and Washington settled over the Portland metro area this week, pushing air quality into unhealthy and, in some areas, hazardous territory. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with the National Weather Service and Southwest Clean Air Agency, issued an air quality advisory covering Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties — putting Beaverton, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, and the Clackamas area all within the affected zone — along with Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties across the Columbia River in Washington.

The smoke is being driven largely by the Grasshopper Fire, which has burned roughly 34,000 acres on Mount Hood and reduced visibility on Mount Hood's webcams, and the Rowe Creek Fire Complex in Central Oregon. Statewide, wildfires have now burned more than 2 million acres this season.

Air quality readings swung sharply block by block and hour by hour. Portland's Air Quality Index hit 160 — "unhealthy" — at 7 a.m. Wednesday, but that reading understated conditions elsewhere in the region: Estacada measured 153, Damascus 181, and communities near Mount Hood's Welches and Rhododendron areas saw AQI readings top 700, deep into "hazardous." By mid-morning Wednesday, monitoring service IQAir ranked Portland among the worst air quality of any major city in the world.

Health officials are urging residents across the region — especially infants, young children, older adults, people who are pregnant, and anyone with heart or lung conditions — to stay indoors with windows and doors closed, run HEPA air purifiers where available, and avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Officials note that cloth and surgical masks don't filter out wildfire smoke particles; only N95 or P100 NIOSH-approved respirators offer real protection, and anyone with a heart or lung condition should check with a doctor before using one.

The advisory remains in effect until conditions improve, with no firm end date yet from DEQ. Residents can track real-time conditions through the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, DEQ's Air Quality Index, and the OregonAIR app before planning outdoor activities.