Haze Spreads Across U.S. As Wildfires Continue To Tear Through The West

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Firefighter Cody Carter battles the North Complex Fire on Monday in Plumas National Forest in California.

Noah Berger/AP

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Noah Berger/AP

Environment
West Coast Fires: Climate, Forest Management, Lax Rules, Plenty Of Blame To Go Around

About 8,500 firefighters have been deployed in the two states, but smoky conditions have hindered the use of aircraft or helicopters to fight the blazes.

Rain should help the effort to contain the fires, though major precipitation isn’t expected. Showers are forecast in northwest Oregon and along the Cascades, and the increase in relative humidity should improve conditions, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

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Smoke rises from the ground Sunday in a neighborhood destroyed by wildfire in Talent, Ore.

David Ryder/Getty Images

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David Ryder/Getty Images

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Shayanne Summers holds her dog Toph on Sunday after several days of staying in a tent at an evacuation center at the Milwaukie Portland Elks Lodge in Oak Grove, Ore.

John Locher/AP

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John Locher/AP

Elections
‘I Don’t Think Science Knows’: Visiting Fires, Trump Denies Climate Change

Five of the largest wildfires in California history have occurred this year.

Wildfire smoke can irritate lungs, cause inflammation, affect the immune system and increase the possibility of lung infections, including the virus that causes COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions.

The National Weather Service warns that cloth face coverings for COVID-19 do not protect against wildfire smoke.

Instead, it suggested: «Stay inside and close windows and doors. If you’re running an air conditioner, keep the fresh-air intake closed and clean the filter to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.