NE Tri County Health District Works To KeepIndoor Air Clean During Wildfire Smoke

As wildfire smoke continues to affect communities across northeast Washington, the Northeast Tri County Health District is working to give residents, shelters, and schools more ways to protect themselves when outdoor air becomes unhealthy. Health District Director Matt Schanz said the effort has been building for years and includes portable air cleaners for residents, larger commercial filtration units for shelters and schools, lower-cost box fan filters, and a growing network of local air-quality monitors. “For the last three years, we have been successful getting portable air cleaners out to low- and moderate-income individuals,” Schanz said.

Through a combination of Washington State Department of Health, Department of Natural Resources, and other grant funding, Schanz said the district has distributed nearly 1,100 high-quality portable air cleaners across Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties. Supplies have become more limited, however, and Schanz said the district has had to focus the remaining units on those most in need. “We have since had limited quantities, so we have been focusing distribution to people in shelters or people returning home to smoke-impacted areas,” he said. “We prioritize individuals with the greatest health needs.” This year, the District has also increasingly turned to box fans equipped with filters as another option. “We transitioned into distributing box fan filters,” Schanz said.

“Those, while not ideal, are sufficient enough to remove smoke from indoor air.” He added that the district has been sharing information about those programs through its Facebook page and working with community partners, including the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The need for cleaner indoor air has become particularly evident during this summer’s widespread wildfire activity, where there have been several days in what is classified as “unhealthy” air quality.

Following a federal Public Health Emergency declaration for Washington state on Friday, Aug. 7, Schanz said the district submitted a request for an additional allocation of portable air cleaners. “We did submit a request for an allocation of those portable air cleaners to distribute to the same qualified individuals,” he said. “We’re waiting to see if some are allocated.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the federal declaration amid the state’s wildfire emergency.

The declaration provides additional flexibility and resources for health care providers and agencies responding to wildfire-related health impacts. The Washington State Department of Health said the declaration provides additional tools to protect public health and strengthen the response in communities affected by the fires. For Schanz, much of the district’s work comes down to helping residents remain safely in their own homes whenever possible. “People want to stay in their own homes in events like this,” he said.

“How can we help people stay in their homes where they live?” The Health District’s response extends beyond individual households. Schanz said commercial-grade air scrubbers have been distributed to evacuation shelters to improve indoor air quality for people displaced by wildfires. “We also distributed commercial air scrubbers to shelters to ensure people in those shelters have good air to breathe when they are inside,” he said. The district has coordinated their work with organizations including the Red Cross, Schanz said.

Heat can create another problem for emergency shelters during wildfire events. According to Schanz, many buildings used as temporary shelters, particularly older schools and community facilities, were not designed with air conditioning. Opening windows may help cool a building under ordinary conditions, but it can quickly allow wildfire smoke inside when air quality deteriorates.

To address that problem, Schanz said the district has developed a small fleet of portable commercial air conditioning units along with larger filtration equipment. “We are able to roll in these bigger air conditioning units,” he said. “Then you can shut up those facilities and not open windows, cool it, and also filter it.” Schanz pointed to the Kettle Falls school cafeteria as an example of a facility that did not have air conditioning. The district has approximately a dozen larger filtration units that can be loaned to facilities. Schanz said those resources can disappear quickly during a widespread smoke event. With the beginning of the school year approaching, the district is also communicating with schools about what assistance may be available. “As we lean into school starting, we have a lot of contact with schools,” Schanz said.

“If your air systems need help, we can get those into schools.” If the smoke persists and additional equipment is needed, Schanz said the district can work with the Washington Department of Health to request more filtration equipment for schools, health care facilities, and other locations. One of the biggest changes in the district’s wildfire response has been its ability to give residents more localized information about what they are breathing. Schanz said there are now approximately 30 air-quality sensors spread throughout the three-county district. “Know the AQI (Air Quality Index). Know what is closest to you,” Schanz said. “We now have approximately 30 PurpleAir monitors amongst the three counties. You don’t have to look very far to see your air-quality sensor, and you can decide what to do.”

That represents a major improvement from several years ago, he said, when only a small number of monitors covered a geographically large and varied region. “A few years ago, we had two monitors for the whole tri-county area,” Schanz said. “There are so many little air sheds, it felt tough to give recommendations.” The district has worked to place sensors at schools, fire districts, libraries, and other locations throughout the region. “We’ve really tried to look at all three counties and make sure there aren’t big gaps,” he said. Schanz also stressed that wildfire smoke should not simply be treated as an inconvenience, particularly when poor air quality persists for days or weeks.

“When we have those prolonged occurrences and prolonged AQI levels, that’s why it becomes very important that people pay attention to their activity levels,” he said. Schanz said his own attitude toward exercising or working outside during wildfire smoke has changed over time. “Six or seven years ago, I felt I could go out and do stuff,” he said. “I’ve come to realize that can really impact your own health.” He continued, “I’ve seen it in kids. I’ve seen people go out and run in smoky conditions, and it will have a health impact. That’s why we say it matters.” Portable air cleaners remain one of the most effective ways to reduce indoor smoke exposure, Schanz said, although their cost can be a barrier.

“If you can afford it, they are very effective filters,” he said. “The ones we distribute will cover about 2,700 square feet.” A high-quality unit capable of filtering fine particulate matter can cost $250 or more, in addition to the cost of replacement filters. “If people have the financial wherewithal, they are really effective,” Schanz said. “If you can’t do it, they are expensive. The next thing is the box fan filters.” Those fine particles, including PM2.5 found in wildfire smoke, are small enough to travel deep into the lungs, making effective filtration particularly important during extended periods of heavy smoke, according to the Washington Department of Health.

For Northeast Tri County Health District, preparing for those conditions has increasingly become part of routine public health work. “As a public health system, this has been a prolonged effort since 2012,” Schanz said. The district’s portable air cleaner program became a major focus between 2020 and 2022, particularly for residents who met income eligibility requirements. Since then, the agency has continued building its monitoring network and a fleet of equipment that can be moved wherever smoke conditions are creating the greatest need. “We have been trying to be very responsive,” Schanz said. “It’s all too common in August and September to have these conditions.”