Oregon Public Broadcasting

Smoke from fires in north-central Washington is dirtying the skies over the eastern half of the state.

Meanwhile, western Washington has been getting a dose of bad air from fires burning in Canada.

Weather forecasters and state ecology officials expect the haze to build up for the next couple of days.

Smoky air contains fine particles that can harm people's lungs.

Seth Preston is a spokesman for Washington's Ecology Department. He says people should watch how much time they spend outdoors this week.

Seth Preston: "People need to realize that even though they are generally healthy that they could be affected by smoke. That they could breath in the tiny particles trapped in smoke and they could do some damage."

Preston says the forecast calls for winds and cleaner air flow by the end of the week, as long as no new fires start blazing.

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Air Time: Wildfire Smoke Spreading Across Eastern Washington