New Report Examines How Methow Valley Tracks Wildfire Smoke and Protects Residents

Today, the American Lung Association released a new report, “Something in the Air: How Communities Are Tracking the Air They Breathe,” which examines how communities impacted by major sources of air pollution are using air quality monitors to reveal local-level pollution gaps, use data to inform and guide local decision-making, and strengthen cross-sector partnerships for cleaner air. One case study delves into a Washington program’s successful initiative to protect residents from the health impacts of wildfire smoke.

The Methow Valley in Okanogan County, Washington—one of the state’s most wildfire-prone regions—faces prolonged and highly localized smoke exposure driven by mountain topography, temperature inversions and regional fire transport, conditions. In response, the non-profit Methow Valley Citizen’s Councils Clean Air Methow launched the Clean Air Ambassadors program, building one of the largest rural community-led PurpleAir networks in the state. The group deployed a network of roughly 35 community particle pollution sensors across the county, which revealed valley-specific smoke patterns and nighttime inversions not captured by regulatory monitors. The data collected from this program led to targeted public health alerts, new clean-air shelter planning, and expanded air-quality preparedness across the county. Read the full case study here.

“Wildfire smoke poses a serious health hazard to people living and working near fires. This harmful smoke places even healthy individuals at risk, but it is especially harmful to people who work outdoors, are pregnant, are under age 18 or over age 65, or have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or another lung disease, chronic heart disease or diabetes,” said Will Barrett, assistant vice president, nationwide policy, clean air, for the Lung Association. “Because wildfires can grow very quickly and smoke can travel thousands of miles and shift directions without warning, it is critical to have warning systems in place to protect people. This program in the Methow Valley is a great example of how local and cross-agency partners can come together to protect the health of their communities.”

The full report, “Something in the Air: How Communities Are Tracking the Air They Breathe,” examines how community air quality monitoring reveals pollution patterns that traditional networks are not designed to capture. While U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) monitoring network remains the foundation for meeting and enforcing air pollution standards, it does not capture pollution trends at the hyperlocal level, by neighborhood or by block. This is especially important for communities near busy highways and major industrial sites, and in wildfire-prone regions. As a result, many communities, like Okanogan County, are strengthening their ability to measure and respond to air pollution through collaborative partnerships that integrate low-cost sensors, mobile monitoring and other research instruments that translate data into tangible protections. 

The report offers specific recommended actions for EPA; federal partners; state and local governments; research, academic and technical partners; and community groups and individuals to take to broaden the use of community air monitoring to improve public health. Learn more at Lung.org/something-in-the-air.

“Something in the Air: How Communities Are Tracking the Air They Breathe” is the third report in a series supplementing the Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air” report, which examines unhealthy levels of pollution in cities and counties across the country. The series aims to expand the role of emerging technologies in air quality monitoring and public health protection. Additional case studies in the report focus on pollution from heavy-duty traffic and industrial facilities and power plants, as well as another wildfire smoke case study. The first report in the series, “Something in the Air: Bridging the Air Quality Data Gap with Satellite Technology,” was released in October 2024, and the second report, “Something in the Air: Nitrogen Dioxide and Community Health,” was released in March 2025.