Red flag warning for gusty winds brings unhealthy air quality back to Seattle

SEATTLE (KOMO) — A red flag warning was issued west of the Cascades in King County, Washington, because of the gusty winds and low humidity. Those winds are now bringing in unhealthy air quality from the Bolt Creek Fire.

Sarah Howe, who suffers from asthma and sleep apnea for years, is being extra cautious when the air is bad by wearing a mask.

“I’m wearing them outside to keep me from ending up in the emergency room or having someone come help,” Howe said.

The National Weather Service and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency are advising people to stay indoors whenever possible. The Bolt Creek Fire is now 90% contained, but experts say the bad air quality will linger throughout the week in parts of King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

We could still expect to see some smoke over the area [Wednesday] tomorrow, especially tomorrow morning but as we move into Thursday the air quality should improve as the winds shift,” said Jeff Michelski, a meteorologist with the NWS in Seattle.

A few weeks ago, Seattle’s air quality was the worst in the world because of wildfire smoke. For people like Howe, she has a few rules she follows to protect herself.

“One, don’t open the windows, number two, if you’re hot turn on the air conditioning and number three take your meds, take your asthma stuff,” she said.

The Bolt Creek Fire is still active and has burned more than 10,000 acres, causing Highway 2 to remain closed, but a chance of rain could be the answer to helping the situation.

“We have a pattern change and we may actually see some rain in the mountains as we move into Friday so that’s all good for the ongoing fires in our area,” said Michelski.

Experts say the worst air quality tends to be in the morning. Howe said she’ll continue wearing her mask outdoors until it’s safe to take it off.