Fumaça de incêndio deixa ar de Spokane em nível "perigoso", com índice batendo 576

Wildfire smoke blanketed eastern Washington state, leaving Spokane's air at a level considered hazardous. The regional air quality index reached 315—classified as "hazardous"—with one specific neighborhood registering an index as high as 576, a value that falls outside the AQI's own measurement scale, according to FOX 13 Seattle.

Partial improvement, but still "very unhealthy"

On Friday morning, conditions improved slightly, with the index dropping to 288 — a level still classified as "very unhealthy," a category that "can cause adverse health effects" nonetheless, according to FOX 13 Seattle.

Five fires behind the smoke.

Severe air pollution is coming from five major wildfires that have already burned tens of thousands of acres: Lyons Ferry, Neff Jones, Chelan Hills, B and O, and Kaiser Canyon. The Lyons Ferry fire, the largest of them, has already burned approximately 30,000 acres, according to Spokesman-Review.

A recent storm has worsened the situation.

A recent electrical storm helped spark a new wildfire in the region, further exacerbating the smoke that already blanketed eastern Washington, according to Spokesman-Review.

Air quality alert in effect.

Authorities issued an air quality alert for Adams, Lincoln, Spokane, and Whitman counties, valid until Sunday morning, due to smoke from wildfires in the region, according to the same source.

What to do to protect yourself

Health recommendations include reducing time outdoors, keeping doors and windows closed, filtering and recirculating indoor air, and using an N95 mask for those who need to leave home, according to Spokesman-Review. The dangerous condition "can cause health problems for anyone, regardless of age or physical condition," warns FOX 13 Seattle.

Why does this matter to Brazilians in Washington state?

For those who live, work, or plan to travel through eastern Washington state in the coming days, it's worth checking the real-time air quality index before leaving home—especially those with young children, elderly family members, or who already have respiratory problems, a group more vulnerable to the effects of intense smoke.