MSGID: 1:317/3 63503b28   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   October 19, 2022 - Smoke from Late-Season Wildfires Drops Air Quality in   
   Vancouver and Seattle   
      
      fires   
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      Thick smoke rose from dozens of fires burning southwestern Canada and   
      the northwestern United States in mid-October 2022, seeping into the   
      valleys and diminishing air quality. Based on data from IQAir, a Swiss   
      air quality technology company, Vancouver-based media reported that as   
      of 1:30 p.m. local time on October 18, Vancouver, Canada’s air was   
      ranked second-worst of any major city in the world, ticking 160 on the   
      US Air Quality Index. It was tied with Portland, Oregon, which was also   
      coping with wildfire smoke. Seattle, Washington captured the prize for   
      the tenth-worst air in the world, with 143 US Air Quality Index. At   
      that same time, the air in Vancouver was reported to be 15 times the   
      PM2.5 concentration recommended by the World Health Organization. PM2.5   
      measures fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller.   
      Particles this small present substantial health risk, as they can be   
      breathed deeply into the lungs as well as irritate eyes, nose, and the   
      throat.   
      
      In most years, fire season in Washington state and in British Columbia   
      tapers to an end by late September, when temperatures drop, and autumn   
      rain begins to fall. In fact, B.C. Wildfire Service issued its final   
      status update for 2022 on September 29. The report noted that a   
      downturn in fire activity had been noted, but there was no   
      season-ending rainfall in the forecast and weather would remain dry   
      with above-average temperatures. On October 17, the BC Wildfire   
      Facebook page noted that the Coastal Fire Centre was experiencing   
      historical forest fuel conditions and outflow wind patterns, with   
      increased fire behavior on all active fires. They stated, “The result   
      of these unseasonably hot, dry conditions, lack of rainfall and outflow   
      winds, is that smoke from 26 active fires in the Fraser Zone, combined   
      with smoke from Washington State, has negatively impacted air quality   
      and visibility throughout most of the Coastal Fire Centre, particularly   
      in the Fraser Valley.”   
      
      On October 18, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of   
      dozens of actively burning fires in both British Columbia (north) and   
      the state of Washington (south). The thick blanket of smoke seeps into   
      lowlands and valleys, with smoke from the Washington fires coalescing   
      over southern British Columbia, obscuring the land beneath from view.   
      Each red “hot spot” marks an area of actively burning fire.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 10/18/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (91.1 KB),  500m (288.4 KB),  250m (848.5   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-10-19   
       
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