New threat after the fires in the US: The worst air quality in the world

Of: Marcus Älverbrandt

Published: September 12, 2020 kl. 22.56
Updated: September 12, 2020 kl. 23.08

More than half a million people have been evacuated and at least 26 people have died in the fires on the west coast of the United States.

As authorities fear many more victims, fire zones face another threat:

The air is so polluted that it can be extremely dangerous to breathe.

Fires in twelve western US states have killed at least 26 people since mid-August. On Saturday, a total of 97 fires devastated the west coast.

California currently has three of the five worst fires in state history, local authorities told CNN.

Photo: Kevin Jantzer / TT

A house is engulfed in flames in the city of Talent, Oregon.

Oregon is one of the worst affected states. There, more than half a million people have been forced to flee their homes or have been urged to prepare for evacuation, which is more than 10 percent of the state’s population. The state’s head of crisis management now says they are bracing for a “mass death event” as the number of missing people has risen over the weekend.

More than 3,800 square miles of land have been burned in Oregon in the past five days, more than double the number in any year.

Warns of dangerous air

Another heavily affected state is Washington. Sixteen major fires have destroyed much of the eastern part of the state and several have died, including a one-year-old boy.

According to Washington Governor Jay Inslee, this is the second worst fire season in the state’s history. He chooses to call the fires “weather fires” rather than “wildfires.”

– This is not God’s work. This has happened because we have changed the climate, Inslee said during Friday’s press conference.

But it is not just the fires themselves that threaten the population. Extensive smoke formation has dramatically degraded air quality in much of the western United States. In parts of Oregon, the air was so smoky this week that it eliminated the scale used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to measure dangerous air quality.

The scale extends to 500, where 300 is considered dangerous to the health of people exposed for at least 24 hours. On Thursday, Oregon is estimated to have reached more than 700, if the scale had gone that far.

According to Mary Prunicki, an air pollution researcher at Stanford University, the list is unparalleled.

– There is probably no information about what happens when you are exposed to such high levels, he tells the environmental magazine Grist.

The health effects of more than 300 include an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias, asthma attacks, and heart attacks. In addition, those affected become more vulnerable to covid-19.

According to a Swiss air purification company, the air quality in Portland is currently the worst in the world and experts believe that the quality has not yet hit bottom. The worst smog is estimated to have dissipated as of Monday afternoon local time.

Favorable weather conditions

One ray of light on the misery is that changes in weather conditions over the weekend have made rescue efforts easier. Decreasing winds and increased humidity have helped firefighters in Oregon and California fight the blaze.

The extensive smoke formation has also darkened the sun and lowered temperatures, government sources told the AP news agency.

On Monday, President Donald Trump will visit California to receive an update on the situation from local and federal authorities. It will be in Sacramento, just over 110 kilometers south of the worst affected areas.

Published: September 12, 2020 kl. 22.56

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