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Air is OK, but those with health problems should watch it State and county officials have not issued any air-quality warnings, but residents are urged to pay attention to their health while a blanket of smoke from the 5,500-acre Quartz Fire hovers above the Rogue Valley. Many residents phoned Jackson County's Health and Human Services Tuesday to express concerns over the smoky skies, according to Gary Stevens, environmental health program manager. But a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Quality in Medford said the small amount of wildfire-generated particles in the air haven't become harmful and the air is safe to breathe. Stevens said the most recent report from DEQ rated the air quality "good to moderate," but he added that residents who suffer from asthma or heart or breathing problems should avoid areas with high concentrations of smoke. "Smoke levels are not healthy for anybody," he said. " 'Moderate' doesn't cut it." If the smoky air begins to bother you, Stevens suggests moving indoors and stopping all physical activity. People who experience serious problems should contact a doctor. Meteorologist Mike O'Brien, of the National Weather Service in Medford, said while it's difficult to predict wind patterns, currents are expected to turn west by Friday. "The wind can go in a lot of different directions at different levels," he said. Providing the wildfire doesn't jump or spread, O'Brien said, Friday's winds could blow the smoke out of the valley. Weather conditions will stay the same this week, with temperatures cooling by five degrees for the weekend as the current high-pressure ridge moves inland, he added. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.