Do your share for clean air
Klamath County currently has one monitoring station at Peterson Elementary school. The monitor has reported poor air quality in Klamath Falls for several years. As a result, the EPA has designated Klamath Falls as a “non-attainment area”. We can reach attainment if we all do our share.
74% of our poor air quality comes from uncertified wood stoves and fireplaces. Replacing your uncertified wood stove or fireplace with a certified wood stove or fireplace can help Klamath reach attainment and continue receiving federal funding. Together, by following the Klamath County air quality advisory and related burning regulations, we can ensure a bright future for the health and well-being of our community. A list of Environmental Protection Agency certified wood stoves can be found here.
Do your share for clean air by following the air quality advisory.
- Call 541-882-2876 or visit this air quality website for more daily information.
- To view hourly air quality data visit the State of Oregon DEQ website.
- You can also view the 24-hour Air Quality Index by clicking on the circle representing the Klamath area on the web page listed above.
Restrictions on fireplaces, wood stoves, wood-burning fireplace inserts and pellet stoves
Starting October 15, 2022, and ending March 15, 2023, the Klamath County Environmental Health Division will make a daily Air Quality Advisory for the use of fireplaces and woodstoves within the Air Quality Zone.
The advisory will give:
- Specific restrictions on the use of fireplaces, woodstoves, fireplace inserts and pellet stoves within the Air Quality Zone;
- Restrictions on outside or open burning countywide; and
- The EPA Air Quality Index for the past 24 hours.
Things to Remember
- If it doesn’t grow, don’t burn it: Only leaves, branches, and other plant grown can be burned, nothing else.
- Smoke can hurt you, and others: Although smoke from a fire may not bother you immediately, it can be a serious health threat. Smoke and soot from outdoor fires can cause health problems, particularly if you already have respiratory conditions, and pollute the air. Fires, also, can burn out of control, destroying forests and burning down homes.
- Get a certified wood stove or fireplace insert: Replace your wood stove with a new, cleaner heating system.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle: Brush can be composted, donate unwanted items, and recycle goods.