CO wildfires bring smoke and its negative impacts to area

Smoke monitors on the way to the valley

by Mark Reaman

While the smoke from Colorado wildfires might make local sunsets more colorful, smoke can also have a negative impact on your health. Smoke in the air can quickly impact those considered “at-risk,” such as people who suffer from respiratory issues including asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), those recovering from a bout of the coronavirus, people who are elderly, pregnant women, children and people with heart disease.

Smoke inundating the upper valley the last 10 days in Crested Butte has mostly been originating from the Grizzly Creek fire in the Glenwood Canyon, but officials feel there has also been some spillover from the Pine Gulch fire that is burning north of Grand Junction.

“Over the last few days, north winds have been pushing the smoke south into Crested Butte,” explained wildfire incident air resource advisor with the U.S. Forest Service Andrea Holland. “Winds, terrain and the amount of fuels burned in a wildfire all play a role in how much smoke is produced and how it affects a downwind community.”

Holland said that when fires are burning during the day the smoke can rise high into the air and flow over the mountains. At night, there is normally an inversion in mountain drainages that puts a cap on the rising smoke, so the smoke doesn’t travel as far. It still follows drainages and that is why Glenwood Springs, for example, is seeing a lot of smoke both at night and during the day.

Smoke monitors are being installed in Crested Butte and Gunnison this week to help map the flow of the smoke and record how intense it is at any given time. There are already monitors in Gothic and Paonia that provide a measure of smoke impacts.

Holland said based on the recent data from the Gothic monitor, smoke levels have overall been in the “moderate” level in that area. “With a moderate reading, you might feel the impacts of smoke if you are unusually sensitive but overall it is not a major health concern for most people,” Holland said.

“When smoke concentrations reach the ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ category, we become more concerned about people at risk such as those who are older, children, those that have heart disease or lung issues like asthma and COPD and those who have or who are recovering from COVID-19. The next level of smoke is the ‘Unhealthy’ category that affects everyone and can negatively impact all of us. At that point it is best to avoid smoke inhalation. If you are a runner, don’t run when the smoke is thick.

“I always say, ‘Listen to your body.’ If you smell the smoke, that means you are breathing the smoke,” Holland continued. “Contact your doctor or a health professional if you have an underlying health condition and feeling unwell during a smoke event. Don’t do anything strenuous in smoky conditions.”

Smoke is made up of small particulate matter that can get into your lungs. “If you are compromised it can wreak havoc with your health,” Holland emphasized. “Even for healthy people, you may feel the effects but often you will recover; it just might take a while. It’s best to avoid exposure in the first place if that’s possible.”

As for taking precautions, Holland said the ultimate action is to leave the area when smoke is thick. But she knows that is not always possible so she advises basically sheltering in place. If your house has an air conditioner—not likely but possible in Crested Butte—make sure the HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is clean.

“What I have found that works is using portable air cleaners with HEPA filters that remove the tiny particulate matter in wildfire smoke,” Holland advised. “In a place like Crested Butte where the smoke comes and goes, open the windows and get some air movement during those times when the smoke is not bad.”

There are four major wildfires burning in Colorado right now and all are facing a similar combination of factors that make them particularly bad, including drought conditions, being located in steep and rugged terrain and burning trees that are dead because of pine beetle damage. The short-term weather forecasts are calling for dry thunderstorms that might bring lightning instead of rain. In other words, the smoke isn’t going away any time soon.

Access the website fire.airnow.gov to see the air quality conditions where monitors are set up.