Eastern Oregon residents should expect continued haze as dry and stagnant conditions persist

EASTERN OREGON – Residents in Eastern Oregon can unfortunately expect the smoke and haze to linger for another week at minimum, possibly even longer. 

According to Pendleton National Weather Service Meteorologist Cole Evans, fire activity across the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Central Oregon and Central Idaho, will continue to emit smoke across the region. The Emigrant Fire in particular, located in the southeast corner of Lane County, was producing a significant amount of the smoke that’d been drifting east near the end of last week, according to the NWS office out of Boise.

Not helping matters, hot and dry conditions also will persist throughout the week and likely into next, with minimal chance for precipitation. Light winds throughout the week will further contribute to smoke and haze settling in Eastern Oregon. 

Fortunately, at least at the time of writing, most of the smoke in Eastern Oregon is elevated enough (according to Evans) to not significantly impact air quality. While those with respiratory issues or other physical sensitivities should avoid strenuous outdoor activities if possible, an actual air quality alert has not been issued for Eastern Oregon. The DEQ did issue an alert for Klamath and southern Deschutes Counties on August 29, however.

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(Photo of the Immigrant Fire posted by the Emigrant Fire 2025 page) 

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