October 15 begins the annual season where Klamath County Public Health (KCPH) provides a daily notification for wood-burning devices within the Klamath Falls-area Air Quality Zone.
There are three simple steps for the community to follow:
- Know if you are within the Air Quality Zone. A map is provided with this update to help make a determination. If you need help, call 541-883-1122.
- Know the call.
- No burning allowed. The forecast shows air quality may become unhealthy. KCPH restricts burning to reduce periods of unhealthy air quality.
- Exempt wood-burning devices only. The forecast shows air pollution may impact public health. KCPH restricts the use of devices to only those with a Public Health-issued exemption, which are approved for low-income individuals or those whose only source of heat is a wood-burning device.
- Burning allowed. The forecast shows good conditions for smoke to leave the area. Use of wood-burning devices within the Air Quality Zone should not impact air quality.
- If you are low-income or only have a wood-burning device as a source of heat, apply for an exemption at Public Health.
Burn notifications are provided for the Klamath Falls-area Air Quality Zone October 15 through March 15 and during open/outdoor burn periods. Notifications are effective 8:30 a.m. each day. The fall open burn period has not been set at this time.
The notifications are determined by looking at weather information like temperature, wind speed and mixing height. Mixing height provides a forecast for how smoke will disburse or leave the Klamath Basin.
When temperatures are low and the skies are clear, the cold air moves below the warm air and traps the smoke in the Basin. This is called an inversion. In this case, mixing heights are low.
During inversions, wood burning creates more smoke in the air. Burning is restricted to reduce the amount of smoke, which can harm the health of sensitive or vulnerable people.
KCPH strongly encourages the community to use heating sources that are not wood-burning during these times to keep good air quality.
Advisories can be found at airquality.klamathcounty.org or www.facebook.com/KlamathBasinAirQuality. They are also available by calling 541-882-2876, which is a daily recording.
Please call 541-883-1122 with any questions about burn notifications.