CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is encouraging residents to monitor air quality conditions over the next several days as smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to move into the region.
Current forecasts indicate air quality may be impacted across portions of the state beginning Thursday afternoon and continuing into Friday. Depending on smoke concentrations and weather conditions, some areas could experience elevated Air Quality Index (AQI) values in the Red (Unhealthy) or Purple (Very Unhealthy) categories, with a limited potential for Maroon (Hazardous) conditions for brief periods in isolated locations.
The AQI is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) tool for communicating about outdoor air quality and health. The AQI includes six color-coded categories, each corresponding to a range of index values. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern:
Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which can affect anyone, especially sensitive populations: children, older adults, pregnant individuals, and people with heart or lung conditions such as asthma or COPD.
If air quality worsens,
federal health guidance recommends reducing time outdoors and limiting strenuous physical activity, particularly if air quality reaches the Unhealthy category or higher. Individuals who experience symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, or difficulty breathing should move indoors and seek medical attention if symptoms become severe.
Residents can monitor current air quality conditions and forecasts by visiting EPA's AirNow website at AirNow.gov or by using the AirNow mobile app.
WVDEP will continue working with the National Weather Service offices in the region to issue air quality alerts for affected areas of West Virginia as forecasts evolve.