Lewiston, Idaho – Thick smoke from nearby wildfires is pushing air quality into the “Unhealthy” range across north-central Idaho, with conditions expected to linger through Monday morning. Residents in Clearwater, Latah, Lewis, Idaho, and Nez Perce counties — including the Nez Perce Reservation — are under an Air Quality Advisory.
According to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Nez Perce Tribe ERWM Air Quality Program, the Air Quality Index is holding at levels dangerous for sensitive groups and increasingly unhealthy for the general population. In some parts of the Nez Perce Reservation, monitors show readings fluctuating between “Moderate” and “Very Unhealthy.”
Communities most affected include Lewiston, Moscow, Kamiah, Lapwai, Craigmont, and Winchester, where smoke is reducing visibility and worsening breathing conditions. Health officials warn children, older adults, pregnant women, and those with asthma or heart disease to avoid time outdoors. Even healthy residents are advised to limit strenuous activity outside until the smoke clears.
Authorities recommend keeping indoor air clean by closing windows, using HEPA filters if available, and checking on vulnerable neighbors. The Idaho Smoke Information Hotline remains available at 1-800-345-1007 for updates.
Air Quality Alerts remain in effect through Monday morning, with agencies warning conditions could extend if wildfire smoke persists.
