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CONTINUING COVERAGE: WILDFIRES Relief may be in the air for Rogue Valley from fires, smoke Rain is possible at week's end Comment By Greg Stiles and Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Greg Stiles and Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings Posted Aug. 24, 2015 at 7:32 PM By Greg Stiles and Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings Posted Aug. 24, 2015 at 7:32 PM Coping with the smoke --> Coping with the smoke Smoke from forest fires can pose health risks, particularly for people with respiratory problems or chronic heart disease. There are steps you can take, however, ... » Read more X Coping with the smoke Coping with the smoke Smoke from forest fires can pose health risks, particularly for people with respiratory problems or chronic heart disease. There are steps you can take, however, to minimize smoke inhalation in your home. Seal it up Although it can be tempting to get the air moving in your house, especially when it's hot, keeping doors and windows open lets in all kinds of smoke, ash and particles. Also, avoid using fans that circulate in air from outside, including bathroom fans, kitchen exhaust fans or even your dryer for your clothes. Try to rely on indoor ceiling or box fans that recirculate the air already in your home. Upgrade your filter Air conditioners are always more efficient with a clean filter, and basic ones should typically be replaced quarterly or more often, depending on air quality. A more effective step, though, is to upgrade to an electrostatic filter. Because smoke particles are so small, they can slip through the basic filters, but electrostatic filters attract even the smallest particles and make them stick with magnetic charges. These filters can range in price anywhere from $16 to $30, but they need to be changed less frequently. Buzz Thielemann from RHT Energy in Medford recommends getting the highest strength of electrostatic filter possible for a marked difference in air quality, because "as expensive as they are, they're cheaper than a doctor's visit," he said. Keep an eye on your symptoms Check in with your doctor about what is or isn't healthy for you to be doing when smoke is in the air. If you can, avoid exercising outside, stay indoors and while driving, use your air conditioner on recirculation only. Figure out what medications or changes are best to keep your breathing as normal as possible. —Local report   » Social News Forest fires continue to burn to the north, south, east and west of the Rogue Valley, and the resulting smoky skies continue to hang over our heads. But fire officials and forecasters say there is reason for some optimism. The Stouts fire in Douglas County, which has pumped the most smoke into the valley for most of the past month, was 86 percent contained Monday and the level of evacuation notices has been reduced, according to fire officials. And forecasts say there's a good chance we'll get some rain by week's end. Remember rain, that wet stuff that falls from the sky? "Chances are increasing for some rain Friday or Saturday," said Shad Keene, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Medford. "There's still some uncertainty, but it's looking better and better for some rain into the weekend. The models are different, so we're not sure when, but it looks promising." While the anticipated 10th- to quarter-inch precipitation won't likely raise river and reservoir levels significantly, it will clear the air of the headache-inducing smoke that has camped out in the Rogue Valley for most of this month. "Rain will do two things," Keene said. "It will deposit any smoke on the ground, and it would dampen the fires some, reducing fire activity, and therefore the fires will produce less smoke." Less smoke would be a relief, as people throughout Southern Oregon continued to breathe the smoky air. Ashland's air quality index stood at an "unhealthy" 159 at 6 p.m. Monday, the worst it's been in the past week. The expected precipitation is the result of a low-pressure system drifting out of the Gulf of Alaska. Much of the summer, moisture has been kept away by a general ridge of high pressure feeding off drought conditions. While all of that is good news, it's best not to plan any "Victory over Smoke" parties quite yet. "We don't expect this to be a season-ending rain," Keene said. "We'll have clear skies, at least temporarily. But a wetting rain this early, going into September, is not typical." It's typical for Medford to receive .28 inches of rain during August. Through Sunday, however, the August reading at the Medford airport was .01 inches. The last measurable rain was Aug. 1, followed by a trace on Aug. 2. While the Stouts Creek and Cable Crossing fires, both in Douglas County to the north, have supplied a steady supply eye-irritating haze since the end of July, the more recent Collier Butte fire east of Gold Beach and Gasquet Complex in Northern California have pumped additional smoke into Jackson and Josephine counties in recent days. "When the wind trajectories are right, we'll see southwest winds smoke blowing in from Gasquet into the Illinois Valley and then west winds blowing it into Grants Pass and Medford," said Michelle Cohen of the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, Highway 230 near Crater Lake was conditionally opened Monday after being closed for more than a dozen days because of fires burning nearby. The highway closed Aug. 12 so crews could fight two lightning-sparked wildfires, the Crescent fire and National fire, that make up the National Creek complex. The fire complex is still active and, depending on wind and fire conditions, the road may close again, Oregon Department of Transportation officials said. Motorists should expect intermittent delays for firefighting and smoky conditions. Officials recommend drivers turn on their lights when traveling through the smoky area near the fire. For the latest road information, see TripCheck.com or call 511 or 800-977-6368. Here's the update, based on information available Monday, on fires burning in our region: Crescent fire East winds pushed the Crescent fire to the west into heavier fuels over the weekend, with the fire growing to about 10,800 acres by late Monday afternoon and remaining only about 10 percent contained by fire lines. The fire slowed Monday, but heavy smoke grounded helicopter operations. The Crescent fire is the larger of two blazes burning in the National Creek Complex fire. The fires were started by lightning on Aug. 1. About 400 firefighters are on the scene. Stouts Fire As of Sunday, the fire burning in Douglas County, about 35 miles northwest of Grants Pass, had reached 26,367 acres and was at 86 percent containment. Evacuation levels for all affected areas have been reduced to Level One. Fire crews completed the final stages of their burnout operation by igniting remaining pockets of fuel. Officials said a major current objective is to minimize impacts to the Elk Creek Restoration Project. Just over 600 personnel remained on the fire, down from 700 last week, and the total cost of fighting the blaze to date was put at $34.4 million. The fire was caused by a mower that was being used during a prohibited time. Collier Butte Fire Firefighters are still working to strengthen containment lines for the Collier Butte Fire, which as of Monday had burned about 9,600 acres in the Gold Beach Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskyou National Forest. Three crews have the fire at 40 percent containment, with flames moving east. The fire, which is burning about 20 miles southeast of Gold Beach, was started by lightning on Aug. 2. About 240 personnel have been assigned to the fire. The south flank remained a high priority, according to fire officials, to stop the spread into the Chetco River watershed. Main highways into and along the south coast and the Rogue River remain open. Residents and visitors to Gold Beach, Brookings and nearby communities are encouraged to drive carefully as firefighter traffic has increased in the area. Gasquet Complex The Gasquet Complex fire, consisting of four lightning-caused fires burning in the Six Rivers National Forest near Gasquet, Calif., had exceeded 16,000 acres at last report. The South Fork of the Smith River was being used to contain the Coon fire, which was at more than 5,200 acres, and 15 miles of containment lines were being dug and reinforced around the Bear fire, which was listed at about 5,000 acres. Fire officials said the Gasquet Complex, which ignited Aug. 3, was 17 percent contained and that 637 personnel had been assigned to it. Gasquet is on Highway 199, the main route from the Rogue Valley to the Southern Oregon and Northern California coast. There have been closures and restrictions on local roads, but Highway 199 remains open. By Greg Stiles and Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Greg Stiles and Kaylee Tornay For the Tidings Posted Aug. 24, 2015 at 7:32 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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