Health district declares wildfire smoke emergency for Chelan, Douglas counties

The briefing

The Chelan-Douglas Health District Board of Health declared a wildfire smoke and hazardous air quality emergency for both counties on Friday. The declaration urges event organizers to weigh Air Quality Index conditions, exposure duration, exertion levels and whether higher-risk people will attend, and lists populations at greatest risk. Separately, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approved Gov. Bob Ferguson's public health emergency request, speeding medication replacement and relaxing provider paperwork across five counties and three tribes.