Skies filled with smoke from wildfires causing health issues

The large wildfires burning in Eastern Idaho are affecting the air quality, and local residents are breathing in and smelling the smokey air.

A map from the National Weather Service shows the state of Idaho along with California are encountering large amounts of smoke. Eastern Idaho is currently experiencing the Canyon Creek Fire that has so far burned 43,235 acres of land.

The air quality is predicted to be unhealthy due to the light winds and smoke from the wildfires.

Winds are bringing smoke up from the Canyon Creek Fire, Berry Fire and the Tie Canyon Fire.

The Berry Fire in Grand Teton National Park is now mapped at 6,819 acres and the Tie Canyon fire is estimated at 890 acres.

According to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Falls currently has unhealthy air quality.

The DEQ Idaho Falls Regional Office has issued a Stage 1 Air Quality Forecast and Caution for Teton, Bonneville, and Custer counties. Valid through Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Physician at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Jerry Smedley said patients in the hospitals emergency department were complaining that they could smell the smoke and some patients who have lung issues were having a hard time.

“If you have underlining, known lung disease such as asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and you know you can have flare ups, its a good idea to try to stay indoors,” Smedley said.

He also said, “Sometimes lung diseases are well controlled because the pollutants are down but when fires get up we see an influx of patients in the emergency department because it’s harder to breath and their medicines don’t work as well,” Smedley said.

Leslie Roberts who works for the Idaho National Laboratory says she could smell the smoke in the air.

“It’s like wood burning or weeds. Smells like a farm fire,” Roberts said.

She also said the bad air quality made her change her daily outdoor workout.

“We planned on running this afternoon but we will not be running because of the air quality. I do have asthma and allergies and my breathing quality is not the best,” Roberts said.

Earl Johnson who also works for the Idaho National Laboratory said he woke up to the smell of smoke.

“It’s irritating. I stepped outside and I could just see all the smokey haze in the air and the smell hit me. It was a real shock this morning that the wind had turned around,” Johnson said.