BOISE, Idaho — A warning from the Department of Environmental Quality about unhealthy levels of smoke in the air has been extended through Wednesday for the Treasure Valley and beyond.
A Red Air Quality Alert is currently in place for the counties of Ada, Canyon, Adams, Boise, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley and Washington counties "due to elevated pollutant levels associated with wildfire smoke impacts."
The advisory will last through at least Wednesday, and will remain in place until the air quality improves, officials say.
Major wildfires are currently burning across the West, scorching parts of California, Oregon and Washington. The Woodhead Fire, burning near Cambridge, Idaho, is currently measured at more than 48,000 acres.
Outdoor burning is prohibited while the red air quality alert is in place, and the DEQ is advising people to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity. Children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems are especially at risk of ill effects from the smoke, officials say.
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