PORTLAND, Ore. — Smoke in the air from wildfires burning across the region caused hazy skies in much of Oregon over the weekend, but the air quality is expected to improve.
As of Monday morning, the Portland metro area is in the "moderate" level, which means people should shorten the amount of time outside, according to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Harry Esteve with DEQ said going into the work week, it's safe for people to be outside.
"It's safe and it's fine to do outdoor activities," Esteve said. "I'm guessing there won't be a huge change by tomorrow morning, so walking to school is no problem."
Pedro Guimaraes spends everyday outside playing music. He said he has noticed the air quality deteriorate over the past couple of days.
"It's been really tough because I need to go back to my place to get water," Guimaraes said. "It's awful, you know."
Esteve said there are some areas in Oregon with really bad air, especially near the Cedar Creek Fire in Oakridge. He said rain and a change in wind direction will improve the air quality.
"We're going to probably stay in the moderate range," Esteve said. "There could be some improvements if the wind shifts, but it's all dependent on the weather and the weather can change, and smoke conditions can change."
Guimaraes said he's looking forward to playing more music in better air quality.
"I definitely expect it gets better during the days," Guimaraes said. "I was working outside for three weeks straight, sunny weather, blue skies, and it was perfect and now just hoping this goes away as soon as possible."
People who want to check on the air quality in their neighborhood can search by zip code, city or state online.