Air quality in the Pocatello region registers in yellow zone

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Southeast Idaho remains a safe place to be outside.

Wildfires throughout the western region continue to make an impact throughout the United States. The effects from the fires are taking place in Southeast Idaho as well.

The Department of Environmental Quality in Pocatello update the public regularly on what to expect in the area.

"We here at DEQ monitor the air quality on a daily basis," said Air Quality Manager Melissa Gibbs. "In Pocatello, we let folks know what the current conditions are, what we expect them to be and if we expect any differences."

The department uses the Air Quality Index to determine its measurements. The AQI evaluates the safety of the air conditions from a scale that ranges from green to purple.

For the Pocatello region, the effects from the wildfires are notable, but not a cause for concern just yet.

"The air quality in our seven county area has been in the moderate category," Gibbs said. "We do not have any air quality advisories issued presently for this time, whereas most of the rest of the state of Idaho has air quality advisories in place."

Although the moderate classification for the Pocatello region is a positive sign, the future conditions in the area remain unknown.

"It's really kind of hard to say what we'll see in September and October," Gibbs said. "Air quality is dramatically influenced by weather conditions, topography and meteorological conditions."

You can visit http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov to check out the air quality in your area.