Air Quality Worsens As Wildfire Smoke Engulfs Puget Sound

PUYALLUP, WA - Air quality worsened across Puget Sound overnight Tuesday as smoke from fires burning in Eastern Washington swept into the region. Air quality monitoring stations from Bellevue to Puyallup show air quality levels at unhealthy levels, especially for at-risk groups. The smoke should clear out of the region by Tuesday evening, however, due to shifting wind patterns.

The worst air quality in the region was found in North Bend, which is close to a large wildfire burning north of Cle Elum. But air quality is "moderate" in Puyallup, Tacoma, South Seattle, Lynnwood, and Bellevue, according to the state Department of Ecology.

There are several large wildfires burning in the Cascades: the Jolly Mountain fire near Cle Elum; the Norse Peak and American fires burning along SR 410 east of Chinook Pass; and the Quarry fire burning north of North Bend.

Image via Neal McNamara/Patch.com