October 3, 2012
Fires in the Pacific Northwest Continue to Burn; Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups Ozone AQI in Texas, Louisiana and California
Forest fires in the Pacific Northwest states continue to burn. Smoke from these fires was visible in today's satellite retrievals, as shown below (top left image), and are the cause of the high AOD measured over the Pacific Northwestern states (top left image). The Wenatchee fires in the state of Washington have burnt over 55,234 acres and 55% has been contained, according to INCIWEB. NOAA's Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product reported the presence of thin-density smoke extending southward from Minnesota across the Nation's midsection into the western Gulf of Mexico (bottom right image).
Ozone concentrations in Texas, Lousiana and California reached Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups AQI levels (Code Yellow to Orange), as shown in EPA's Airnow animation. due to sunny skies and high temperatures associated with high pressure system over these regions.
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