Air quality ranked unhealthy

Smoke continues to fill the skies of Colfax and elsewhere around the county, making visibility poor in many areas. The smoke is from nearby wildfires that continue to burn outside the county.

The Department of Ecology ranked the air quality in Whitman County as poor and unhealthy at this time, along with much of eastern Washington. The county is in the 101-150 index range, ranking the air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The Air Quality Index warns that members of sensitive groups such as people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children are likely to be more affected by the poor air quality. The general public is not at great risk at this level.

The ranking prompted athletic field closures at Washington State University, where some fields were locked and closed off to the public.

A sign at the Valley Road Playfields Monday night read, “The Department of Ecology has ranked the current air quality as unhealthy. ... Due to the poor air quality we are closing down outdoor activities until further notice and recommending that people participate in indoor activities.”

Several individuals ignored the signs and hopped the fences to utilize the fields despite the unhealthy air conditions.

Whitman County Parks Director Tim Myers said county parks are not closed and will remain open.

“It’s probably going to be up to the individual and their concerns and pre-existing conditions if they want to be outside or not,” Myers said.