8 West Virginia counties under Air Quality Advisory from wildfire smoke

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Smoke from wildfires is causing the air quality in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle to decline.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) issued an Air Quality Advisory Friday afternoon until midnight in Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, Mineral, Hardy, Grant and Pendleton counties.

The Hampshire County Homeland Security and Emergency Management has also issued a dense smoke advisory in that county.

The WVDEP said that the Air Quality Index is currently acceptable in those areas with a score 51-100, which is considered moderate, but “there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.”

Those most at risk include children, people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases, and the elderly.

Multiple fires are burning in Hardy, Hampshire, Grant and Pendleton counties, including one that has burned more than 4,000 acres and “countless” structures near Wardensville and Waites Run . Those four counties are under a State of Emergency , and West Virginia National Guard helicopters are helping fight fires in those counties.

The AirNow air quality map shows as of 2 p.m. Friday that particle pollution, which is often caused by smoke, is causing moderate air quality in much of north central West Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle. It also shows an area over Monongalia and Preston counties as well as Mineral County where the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Those with sensitivities should avoid outdoor exercise or strenuous activity in those areas.

In summer 2023, smoke from wildfires in Canada caused the air quality across northern West Virginia to unhealthy and even hazardous levels .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.