Even if you can’t smell it, that doesn’t mean it’s not impacting you. “Your nose is not a good tool,” said Emily Fischer, an atmospheric scientist and associate professor at Colorado State University.

The Grant County Health District issued an air advisory Thursday in response to several wildfires in Central Washington causing the air quality to deteriorate. “The smoke is kind of in the area and lingering,” said Misty Aguilar, Public Information Officer. “We want folks to pay to what’s going on in their surroundings and plan accordingly.”

“The more lead time people have to be aware of what’s likely to come their way, the more lead time — we think, we hope — they have to protect themselves and their health,” Dhammapala says. When smoke is incoming, Seattleites can plan to purchase equipment like box fans, filters and N95 masks; reschedule activities; or even plan to evacuate. Less than a year later and just in time for wildfire season, Ecology has a new tool in its toolbelt. The new five-day automated smoke forecast is accessible as part of Ecology’s online smoke map, with days three through five similar to the existing two-day forecast, but using slightly different streams of information. Users can anticipate average daily air quality conditions in 53 separate zones across the state, each pegged to real-time air quality monitors (measuring things like health-affecting ozone and fine particulate matter) and air quality management regions. When it soft-launched with the five-day forecast Tuesday, the map became the first available automated five-day smoke forecast tailored to Washington.