Stay safe during smoke and heat
Update at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 7: Air quality has improved throughout the Puget Sound. Continue to monitor conditions, especially if you may be sensitive to reduced air quality. Warm weather is expected today, with the National Weather Service issuing a heat advisory in effect until 10 p.m. tonight. Stay hydrated, Huskies, and check out tips for dealing with hot weather.
Noon Aug. 6: Expect wildfire smoke and hot weather in the Puget Sound area through Friday.
5:30 p.m. Aug. 3: A wildfire smoke alert was issued for the Puget Sound region today through Thursday. The Air Quality Index will likely exceed thresholds for Washington state worker safety requirements and may reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups and others.
Breathing wildfire smoke may lead to adverse health effects, especially for individuals with certain preexisting health conditions and those who are at higher risk.
In addition, outdoor temperatures are expected to exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit this week.
Working outdoors while exposed to heat can cause a range of heat-related illnesses, from less serious heat rash and heat cramps to more serious heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- The EH&S Wildfire Smoke and Outdoor Heat Exposure webpages have information about outdoor worker protections.
- The UW Emergency Management Outdoor Air Quality and Extreme Heat webpages have guidance for the UW community for various air quality thresholds.
- Visit the EH&S Indoor Air Quality webpage for information about indoor heat safety.
The following links provide additional information and tips on staying safe:
- Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (8/3/26 press release – Wildfire Smoke Alert for the Puget Sound Region)
- Public Health Seattle King County – smoke preparedness tips on their Community Communications Network blog
- King County Wildfire Smoke website
- Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Wildfire Smoke website
- King County Burn Ban and Statewide Emergency Burn Ban
- AirNow Fire & Smoke Map
- King County Wildfire website, including Wildfire Ready Toolkit
- Wildfire Preparedness: Pierce Conservation District
- UW Jaffe Group’s Smoke & Wildfire Resources (including instructions for how to make a low-cost air purifier).