Bellingham, Wash. — If the sky looked hazy today and the air felt a little off, you were not imagining it. Wildfire smoke has pushed Bellingham's air quality from Good into Moderate, and it climbed through the day, from the low 40s on the US Air Quality Index a day ago into the low 70s Tuesday afternoon.

Why it's happening

The smoke is drifting south from the Brunswick Complex fires in British Columbia, which have burned more than 50,000 acres. Winds are funneling it down the Fraser River valley and straight into the northwest corner of Washington, which is why Bellingham and the communities nearest the border and the bay are getting the worst of it. Inland and higher-elevation spots like Deming have stayed noticeably cleaner.

The National Weather Service has an Air Quality Alert up for Whatcom and Skagit counties through Wednesday at 9 a.m., with fine particle pollution (PM2.5) expected to reach Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.

What to expect

Don’t read the Wednesday alert as an all-clear. The fires aren’t going out on a schedule, so the real variable is the wind.

When the marine flow off the Pacific holds, it scrubs our air and the numbers drop. When that flow weakens and the wind instead comes down the Fraser from the north, the smoke pours back in and levels spike fast. Expect a back-and-forth over the coming days rather than a steady trend either way. Watch the wind direction, not the calendar.

How to protect yourself

  • Check real time local numbers before heading out. The Washington Smoke Information blog and the Department of Ecology's monitoring network are the go-to sources.
  • Keep windows closed on smoky days and run your car's AC on recirculate.
  • A MERV-13 filter in your furnace or a box fan is cheap and genuinely effective at catching smoke particles.
  • N95 or KN95 masks help outdoors. Cloth and surgical masks don't stop PM2.5.
  • Sensitive groups (asthma, heart or lung conditions, pregnancy, young kids, older adults) should take it easy outside. Watch for burning eyes, coughing, headaches, and shortness of breath, and get indoors if they show up.

The air will improve, then likely worsen again before fire season is over. In a spot this close to the source, the smart move is to keep an eye on the wind.

The burn ban is still in effect

While you’re thinking about smoke, remember Whatcom County is already trying to keep more of it from starting here. A Stage 2 burn ban has been in effect across unincorporated Whatcom County and Lummi Island since July 17, and it remains in place until further notice. It prohibits all open burning, including recreational campfires and yard debris, though propane fire pits and barbecues are still allowed. Violations carry a minimum $250 fine, and anyone whose fire escapes containment can face criminal charges and be on the hook for the damage. With conditions this dry, it’s worth taking seriously.