Air quality and the fires in Canada

[mrshandy]

@@@@

I've definitely seen some shaming about kids playing outside and they have to be the bad guy telling their kids they can't play outside. But this lady gets up in arms about everything. Every day is a different complaint. It must be exhausting to live on such a high horse.

I posted about going on a run on Wednesday morning because I didn't realize how bad it was supposed to be. I had seen the warnings but I thought it was just for people with breathing problems. She commented rather rudely to Stay Inside!

[sonrisa]

Jun 9, 2023 8:41:17 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

The only thing I've ever seen people shame other people about is having a camp fire during a fire ban. A lot of times that includes backyard fires in town. People will call the fire department on their own beloved mothers at that point. Lol!

omg when a neighbor lit their fireplace a week after smoke ended (and the chimney had t been cleaned in years so it was awful). Or illegal fireworks. That’ll rile up the neighborhood chat.

[basilosaurus]

Doing something illegal = appropriate shame


@@@
Not protecting kids and allowing them to play outdoors = appropriate shame

Your adult self choosing to do an activity outdoors = myob and stfu

I don't think I've seen anything counter to that.

[sakoro]

Jun 8, 2023 14:09:36 GMT -5 wawa said:

Jun 8, 2023 13:46:29 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

We’ve been hovering in the 160s-180s all day here and there is no way I would risk camping unless it goes down a lot by tomorrow. I only had my dog out long enough to use the bathroom and ended up with a headache from it.

what's frustrating is that we really need to make the call today.  ughhhhhhh.  I think it's getting cancelled.  I have three gallons of chili in my fridge for this!!  

It’s very frustrating to make these decisions because the smoke can move suddenly and either be completely fine or much worse. Nothing worse than someone having an asthma attack or perfectly healthy people feeling horrible and short of breath. Now that COVID is less of a threat, perhaps gather somewhere inside?

[wawa]

The prevalence of burn bans is also fascinating. I guess I'm not checking often because it's not like I'm lighting fires left and right, but I don't think we have them very often. it's fairly moist here compared to...a lot of places I guess. We do have permanent summer ban on burning random stuff. Like you can have a campfire in a designated ring in a park, or you can have your little fire pit in your backyard to make s'mores, but you can't have a burn barrel for yard waste or light a big bonfire in the summer at all.
I can think of a handful of times I've seen the sign outside the big state park nearby say that fire risk was high (which would also mean no campfires), but it's not common. (or at least...hasn't been. historically)

[InBetweenDays]

Burn bans are enacted not only because of fire conditions/risk but also because of air quality.

ETA I'd check your local Clean Air Agency. For us they're the ones that post all the information about burn bans.

[heygrey]

wawa, if you had a wide sweeping burn ban you would know. Ours started recently and it’s in every news article, on signs before entering forested areas, on the radio, friends sharing on Facebook, etc.

The trickier part can be when there are levels and knowing those nuances. Alberta’s current ban includes solid source barbecues - charcoal, wood, etc. Only propane and natural gas are allowed. In BC, solid source fuels are allowed if they are contained. It’s easy to google and find current bans for your state or area you’re visiting if it’s ever something you question.

[loira]

Jun 9, 2023 8:51:51 GMT -5 heygrey said:

I’m all about shaming people who potentially start fires. 

So is Halifax's mayor!   Did you see the video where he calls people out as being "in violation of the no-stupid policy"?


www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3G0m_p5jTg 

But yeah, I agree. If I see you flick your cigarette butt out the window in the height of summer, I will be writing down your plate number and giving it to police.

[rubytue]

I’m going to guess this is an “of course 🙄”. H had a bad migraine last night, with lots of nausea. He doesn’t get them much, and he never has figured out triggers. But, seems quite plausible it was the smoke he claimed didn’t bother him.

[sonrisa]

Jun 9, 2023 10:40:24 GMT -5 rubytue said:

I’m going to guess this is an “of course 🙄”. H had a bad migraine last night, with lots of nausea. He doesn’t get them much, and he never has figured out triggers. But, seems quite plausible it was the smoke he claimed didn’t bother him.

That’s how we all learn our limits on this. I found out I can’t take anything over 100 because a day of ‘I can handle this’ brought on asthma I hadn’t had in a decade. DH learned the same thing a year later when he went swimming at 120 and felt like he was drowning. I also get headaches and my ears start to ring from extended exposure to even lower levels of smoke. Why? Who the hell knows.

I really feel for all of you going through this.

[rubytue]

Jun 9, 2023 11:15:19 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Jun 9, 2023 10:40:24 GMT -5 rubytue said:

I’m going to guess this is an “of course 🙄”. H had a bad migraine last night, with lots of nausea. He doesn’t get them much, and he never has figured out triggers. But, seems quite plausible it was the smoke he claimed didn’t bother him.

that’s how we all learn our limits on this shit. I found out I can’t take anything over 100 because a day of ‘I can handle this’ it brought on asthma I hadn’t had in a decade. DH found the same thing a year later when he went swimming at 120 and felt like he was drowning. I also get headaches and my ears start to ring from extended exposure to even lower levels of smoke. Why? Who the hell knows.

I really feel for all of you going through this.

Thanks. It’s much better today (198 yesterday to 89 today, on airnow.gov). Last night, I went to my fencing gym, which is indoor. But several of us called it an early night because of the pollution and this was the end of the day.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 9, 2023 8:58:27 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Jun 9, 2023 8:41:17 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

The only thing I've ever seen people shame other people about is having a camp fire during a fire ban. A lot of times that includes backyard fires in town. People will call the fire department on their own beloved mothers at that point. Lol!

omg when a neighbor lit their fireplace a week after smoke ended (and the chimney had t been cleaned in years so it was awful). Or illegal fireworks. That’ll rile up the neighborhood chat.

This reminds me of a time where neighbors ordered door dash for another neighbor so they wouldn't use their smoker after one of the fires. Lol!

[kath16]

Jun 9, 2023 9:50:58 GMT -5 heygrey said:

wawa, if you had a wide sweeping burn ban you would know. Ours started recently and it’s in every news article, on signs before entering forested areas, on the radio, friends sharing on Facebook, etc.

The trickier part can be when there are levels and knowing those nuances. Alberta’s current ban includes solid source barbecues - charcoal, wood, etc. Only propane and natural gas are allowed. In BC, solid source fuels are allowed if they are contained. It’s easy to google and find current bans for your state or area you’re visiting if it’s ever something you question.

Ehh it’s not always that widely communicated. I’m sure this is very regional, but other than following our fires company ok Facebook I wouldn’t specifically know about our current ban

[SwimDeep]

Jun 9, 2023 11:15:19 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Jun 9, 2023 10:40:24 GMT -5 rubytue said:

I’m going to guess this is an “of course 🙄”. H had a bad migraine last night, with lots of nausea. He doesn’t get them much, and he never has figured out triggers. But, seems quite plausible it was the smoke he claimed didn’t bother him.

that’s how we all learn our limits on this shit. I found out I can’t take anything over 100 because a day of ‘I can handle this’ it brought on asthma I hadn’t had in a decade. DH found the same thing a year later when he went swimming at 120 and felt like he was drowning. I also get headaches and my ears start to ring from extended exposure to even lower levels of smoke. Why? Who the hell knows.

I really feel for all of you going through this.

so I'm not overreacting by thinking my headache is related? Purple Air has the rating in my area at 118. I went for a short walk (half hour) this morning and our house leaks like a sieve. Headache started about half an hour after my walk while I was moving the garden. Our air purifiers are still showing good quality air, and I don't smell smoke, but my head is killing me.

ETA: to clarify (because I made a contradictory statement in another post), I woke up with the headache. It got much worse after the walk. And now the doors have been open for going on two hours and I'm nauseated (probably from pressure washer fumes) and my eyes/sinuses are burning. Our big air purifier is still showing blue, though, which is making me think this is all in my head.

[loira]

As a west coaster who lives with at least some fire smoke every summer, nobody is overreacting if they think their headaches or might be related. Also if you are going multiple days with smoke in the air, you may notice a change in your mental health. We had 1 summer a few years back where we had smoke for weeks and I honestly fell into a low-grade depression that lifted immediately once the smoke cleared.

[rubytue]

Jun 9, 2023 11:54:51 GMT -5 SwimDeep said:

Jun 9, 2023 11:15:19 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

that’s how we all learn our limits on this shit. I found out I can’t take anything over 100 because a day of ‘I can handle this’ it brought on asthma I hadn’t had in a decade. DH found the same thing a year later when he went swimming at 120 and felt like he was drowning. I also get headaches and my ears start to ring from extended exposure to even lower levels of smoke. Why? Who the hell knows.

I really feel for all of you going through this.

so I'm not overreacting by thinking my headache is related? Purple Air has the rating in my area at 118. I went for a short walk (half hour) this morning and our house leaks like a sieve. Headache started about half an hour after my walk while I was moving the garden. Our air purifiers are still showing good quality air, and I don't smell smoke, but my head is killing me.

Based on my quick Google research this morning, no, not overreacting. The only things H did yesterday were a couple short dog walks. Probably outside an hour total. 

[msmerymac]

We got to my in-laws' house in MA last night and the air quality was good (under 50). I slept with the window open. It was so nice to have actual fresh air. My H said he didn't realize how poorly he'd been sleeping the last 2 nights or how tired he'd been. I'm still tired, but feeling better. Air quality is apparently still 150+ at my house, but getting better.

[rubytue]

Circling back to the doom and gloom that us east coasters should be more prepared, and that we could start seeing fire encroaching on out houses and stuff. Let’s say your home it caught in a forest fire. Does normal homeowners insurance cover that or is it more like flood or earthquake insurance that has to be separate or an add on?

[heygrey]

rubytue, YMMV because I live in a different country and all that, but our house is covered under homeowners for wildfires.

This makes it tricky to sell a house during peak fire season because if there is an active fire in the area, the new buyer can't get insurance coverage on the house while there is an active threat. Like, you can't buy flood insurance when the water is lapping at your door. It happens often enough here that there is a work around, but I believe it's that the new owner doesn't have fire coverage until the active fire is over.

[macmars45]

Jun 9, 2023 13:01:22 GMT -5 loira said:

As a west coaster who lives with at least some fire smoke every summer, nobody is overreacting if they think their headaches or might be related. Also if you are going multiple days with smoke in the air, you may notice a change in your mental health. We had 1 summer a few years back where we had smoke for weeks and I honestly fell into a low-grade depression that lifted immediately once the smoke cleared.

I'm in central WA state. My anxiety was through the roof August-Oct 2021 because we consistently had really bad air quality for that long. It improved dramatically once the smoke cleared.

[aurora]

Jun 27, 2023 18:23:42 GMT -5 lucybrown said:

Bumping this to say I’m in WI we’ve been between 220-325 all day. It’s tolerable, but I have a headache, cough, etc. The warning is through Thursday, after which it will be near 90 with high heat indexes. With wind chills, heat indexes, and now air quality issues, the time we can spend outside safely is decreasing.

We have such long winters. It’s killing me to close the house up at 71 degrees. I have no idea how some of you live with this routinely.

I guess it depends what "routinely" means, but I think in most places it's gotten a lot worse in the last decade, and even then it's not every year. We are thinking back to many years without terrible smoke and wondering if it will come again this year or not.

But frankly smoke is one of the reasons I like winter better than summer.

[krystee]

I am in Chicago, which has the worst air quality in the world today. You would think the forest preserve behind our house was fully aflame with how smoky it is here. I got a headache and was coughing just taking the garbage out! I feel so terrible for people who have to work (or live!) outside today.

[sadie]

Jun 27, 2023 20:21:24 GMT -5 krystee said:

I am in Chicago, which has the worst air quality in the world today. You would think the forest preserve behind our house was fully aflame with how smoky it is here. I got a headache and was coughing just taking the garbage out! I feel so terrible for people who have to work (or live!) outside today.

It's so bad here today!

[lucybrown]

aurora, I was thinking of the folks in CA and other areas that experience wildfires. I can’t remember it ever being this bad in WI before 2023.

[cattledogkisses]

I’m in France right now, and the smoke from the Canadian fires is expected to reach all the way over here today, although they’re saying it will remain in the upper atmosphere and be less harmful.

[wildrice]

Is it expected to hit the east coast again? My mom mentioned this morning that she thought we were but I haven't heard anything locally.

[macmars45]

Jun 27, 2023 23:07:42 GMT -5 lucybrown said:

aurora , I was thinking of the folks in CA and other areas that experience wildfires. I can’t remember it ever being this bad in WI before 2023.

We only started getting bad wildfire smoke in WA state in 2016 or so. Some laws changed about forest fire management in 2015. That coupled with climate change has made it bad for at least a few weeks to a few months every summer/early fall.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jun 28, 2023 8:48:53 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Is it expected to hit the east coast again? My mom mentioned this morning that she thought we were but I haven't heard anything locally.

Yes, i think the end of this week.

[gerberdaisy]

wildrice I'm in Upstate NY and we're getting hit again today. Not nearly as bad as last time though, right now AQI is at 150

[gerberdaisy]

Also, someone on facebook that I unfollowed, but somehow still saw her post was asking for "legitimate" videos of the wildfires. Like they don't believe they are real? People are crazy