It's a Bit Smokey

@swirlie north central Idaho

@cheyster
Okay, so you are straight south of Alberta Canada... which is where a lot of wildfires have been burning for at least 6 months straight.

@swirlie i think she's straight south of bc

@swirlie oh life continues on here. I have to wear a mask for health reasons. Otherwise nobody wears one here

@beermeplease
Idaho lies actually south-east of the southern border of BC, which means Idaho lies about 500 kms east of the BC/Alberta boundary.

@cheyster

In all seriousness, if you have to wear a mask for health reasons, it's actually very dangerous for you to be outside during smoke conditions like that. Are you able to stay indoors with the windows closed 24/7, assuming you have air conditioning?

What about the filters on your furnace? Do you have an air filter on your furnace?... they are designed to filter-out any particulate matter within the home.

@swirlie this should sum it up

@beermeplease
Where are you trying to go with this, beer? Like, what's up with you?

@swirlie idaho borders bc .... you said .... and now swirlie blocks me 😂

@beermeplease
Wrong answer, beer.

@swirlie I spend at least a couple hours outside everyday. We do have an AC though. But we only have wood heat.

@cheyster You guys have some real fires going down right now. Burning near the Montana border. Wind must be moving southwest. Man...drift smoke is becoming part of summer in a WHOLE lot of places lately.

@Ynotisay I know it's terrible

@cheyster Yep.I go through it most every year. I live in the California mountains and sometimes it's really bad. AQI's are beyond hazardous. It's been interesting this year that our drift smoke, or smoke from nearby fires, hasn't been as bad as usual.Just lucky with the wind. But other parts of the country are getting hammered. So that drip drip drip stress from fire is expanding beyond places like Idaho that know fire. It's physically touching some in ways they're not accustomed to. Maybe there will be a silver lining. Sometimes people need to personally experience something before they care.

@Ynotisay I grew up in western Montana. I'm no stranger to the annual dinner smoke season. I hear what you are saying though

@cheyster So you know what it is. You've lived it. It's the people in the northeast who've been tasting Canadian smoke that are in more unfamiliar waters.

@Ynotisay
OH yummy! Love that smokey Canadian back bacon scent in the air!

Enjoy it while it lasts, America! 🌬

@swirlie I don't know. Some people really struggle in it. And the thing about fire is that it doesn't know boundaries. Which is why I'm always stoked to see how Canadian and US fire crews work together. I'm in the U.S. and we sent a lot of personnel to help with those fires. Which were really bad. Just like Canada sends crews to us when they can. Just a good reminder that some things are bigger than national politics. I'm just surprised the Trump goons didn't forbid U.S. crews from going. Maybe they weren't aware. Too busy ending USAID and killing children and the poor I guess.