A quick wake-up call for a COPD Retiree

by Bill Lindgren
(N. MN, USA)

For the Summer, I am at the family cabin (about 50 miles S. of the border with Canada), in N. MN - have COPD, woke coughing with the smell of smoke.

Looked about, nothing in sight!

Got on the computer, closest forest fires were raging out in Alberta, CA and then further West in Canada, the winds were aimed perfectly to get that smoke right into our cabin about a thousand miles East!!

I did quite a bit of checking, but that was the problem - a temp inversion had the smoky air stuck close to the earth's surface. (Very difficult to trust Ma Nature after a stunt like that!)

A few days of coughing and it disappeared. Accu-Weather stated they had over 500 forest fires going over in W. Canada at that particular time.

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fire and smoke
by: Elizabeth Spokane

There are fires everywhere out west, with California suffering their worst fire season ever. Here in Eastern WA, we were suffering with very smoky skies, fires in West Canada sending smoke, fires in the states east, south and west contributing, too. After praying for rain, we got a reprieve - cooler temps and some rain, better air quality index.

Let's all ask, pray, think and thank rain for our western states to put out fires!
Air Quality
by: Joe W.

Hey Bill, how did you determine when you are safe for travelling?

I live in Alberta, Canada and we have what's called an Air Quality Index. In terrible smoke conditions where the smoke is so thick it blots out the Sun and it looks like night time instead of day time. We've had a few days with those kind of extreme conditions.

The readings were 10 and 10+ which for seniors means to stay indoors and shut your windows. British Columbia in Canada and California are the worst areas for wild fires this year.

Apparently, there is some consensus that these wild fires will come around every year. It doesn't help if some of these fires could be set accidentally by lightening or on purpose by humans. It's not the time to be travelling into these wild fire areas in BC or California.
Smoke in CA too!
by: Wendy, www.retirement-online.com

Bill,

My friend is traveling from Ohio to California, driving alone in her mid 70s mind you... and stopping anywhere along the way. It's been her dream to do this.

Got near California, not even there yet, and smoke galore... couldn't breathe either.

She should be in CA by now, will have to look on Facebook to see how she is doing. Might be far enough away...

P.S. My dad had COPD... must have been pretty difficult for you with smoke on top of normal breathing issues!

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