Air quality advisories issued for Baker, Grant, Harney, and Wallowa Counties
By Griffin Beach on Friday, July 17th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
SALEM – The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality advisory for northern Harney County and several other counties, including Baker, Grant, Wallowa and Wheeler.
The advisory was issued due to smoke from numerous wildfires in the state. Intermittent smoke is also expected in Crook, Gilliam, Umatilla, and Union Counties.
DEQ quality expects the advisory to last through the weekend as they monitor smoke in the area.
When smoke levels are high, the DEQ offers the following suggestions, particularly for children, older adults, pregnant women and people with heart or lung disease:
- Stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed. If it’s too hot, run air conditioning on recirculate or consider moving to a cooler location.
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activity.
- Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in indoor ventilation systems or portable air purifiers.
- Be aware of smoke in your area and avoid places with the highest levels.
- When air quality improves to moderate or healthy (yellow or green on the Air Quality Index), open windows and doors to air out homes and businesses.
- If you have a breathing plan for a medical condition, be sure to follow it and keep any needed medications refilled.
Air quality map from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow website.
