Smoke-filled air declared “hazardous” in East Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS – The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality declared air in the Idaho Falls area “hazardous” around 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
A thick blanket of smoke is covering the area and residents from Pocatello to Rexburg say air is hard to breathe. The DEQ says has declared air in Rexburg “unhealthy.”
Local fire authorities tell EastIdahoNews.com there aren’t any current fires burning in our area, but wildfires from other parts of the state have been blowing smoke into our area for the past week.
The closest fires in eastern Idaho are in the Salmon-area.
That, combined with a temperature inversion, are causing thick smoke buildup in east Idaho, fire officials said.
A temperature inversion is when a warm layer of air acts as a ceiling to a cooler layer of air – essentially trapping smoke and pollutants.
EastIdahoNews.com is monitoring the situation and will bring you updates throughout the day.
*We want to know what conditions are like in your neighborhood. Send photos to news@eastidahonews.com.*
Photo courtesy Jeffrey Stafford