Oregon study advocates for earlier wildfire smoke warnings to enhance effectiveness

by KATU Staff

Mon, March 11th 2024 at 4:06 PM

Looking south from downtown Oakridge. The Cedar Creek fire, located just northeast of Oakridge, Oregon, has now increased in size to 33,099 acres and is 12 percent contained. Due to predicted strong, hot, dry eastern winds tonight and tomorrow, Oregon Highway 58 is now closed to all traffic from Mile Post 37 to Mile Post 70. The greater Oakridge, Westfir, and High Prairie areas are now under a Level 3 evacuation status -- Go Now -- which was issued at 7:16 pm this evening. Governor Kate Brown has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, which allows the Office of the State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources to aid in the protection of people, property, and critical infrastructure. Eugene, Oregon, was blanketed with a thick layer of smoke from the fire this morning and ash could be seen falling from the sky. Photo by Dan Morrison

Highway 126 disappears in the smoke near Belknap Springs. The Oregon Department of Transportation temporarily closed Highway 126 Wednesday, August 30, when burning embers from the Lookout Fire on the north side of the highway were blown out of the containment area and onto the south side, which ignited several spot fires. Highway 126 is currently closed from the junction of Highway 242 to the junction of Highway 20. The Lookout Fire is now at 22,317 acres with 17 percent contained, and the Horse Creek Fire is 703 acres at zero percent containment. Photo by Dan Morrison

Looking east across Dexter Lake from the Lowell Covered Bridge. The Cedar Creek fire, located just northeast of Oakridge, Oregon, has now increased in size to 33,099 acres and is 12 percent contained. Due to predicted strong, hot, dry eastern winds tonight and tomorrow, Oregon Highway 58 is now closed to all traffic from Mile Post 37 to Mile Post 70. The greater Oakridge, Westfir, and High Prairie areas are now under a Level 3 evacuation status -- Go Now --which was issued at 7:16 pm this evening. Governor Kate Brown has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, which allows the Office of the State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources to aid in the protection of people, property, and critical infrastructure. Eugene, Oregon, was blanketed with a thick layer of smoke from the fire this morning and ash could be seen falling from the sky. Photo by Dan Morrison

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Looking south from downtown Oakridge. The Cedar Creek fire, located just northeast of Oakridge, Oregon, has now increased in size to 33,099 acres and is 12 percent contained. Due to predicted strong, hot, dry eastern winds tonight and tomorrow, Oregon Highway 58 is now closed to all traffic from Mile Post 37 to Mile Post 70. The greater Oakridge, Westfir, and High Prairie areas are now under a Level 3 evacuation status -- Go Now -- which was issued at 7:16 pm this evening. Governor Kate Brown has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, which allows the Office of the State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources to aid in the protection of people, property, and critical infrastructure. Eugene, Oregon, was blanketed with a thick layer of smoke from the fire this morning and ash could be seen falling from the sky. Photo by Dan Morrison

EUGENE, Ore. (KATU) — A new University of Oregon study says wildfire smoke warnings need to be issued sooner.

The study says agencies often don't warn people about poor air until it has already swept in.

Researchers say that it limits their effectiveness.

The study found more than half of wildfire-related tweets from institutional accounts in 2022 were posted during peak smoke levels.

The researchers then made a list of suggestions to consider going forward:

Sharing the severity, risk, and likelihood of a hazard
Sharing numeric information and air quality index levels
Engaging with the community
Discussing wildfire and smoke risks during off-seasons

You can read the complete study on the BMC Public Health website.

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