Folks in Port Townsend feel the effects of 3rd straight day of smoky conditions

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. - For the third straight day, our area has been covered in unhealthy haze from wildfires, and some people say they are feeling the effects.

“I did notice a stuffy nose, and stuffy throat. I took some allergy medicine and that seemed to help. I don’t know, I get allergies in the summers sometimes, but the smoke makes it seem worse,” said Gannon Short, who works in Port Townsend.

It’s his job to water the flowers along the downtown. He says recently the smoke has been bothering him, but he’s still not wearing a mask.

Other people in Port Townsend were a little more cautious.

“They say it’s unhealthy, the smoke, right now,” said Nikki Skipper. “I’m pregnant so I just want to be careful."

Skipper wore a mask while walking downtown.

She says she got her mask for free at the hospital. Unfortunately, she wasn’t wearing the right mask.

Officials say N95 and N100 masks are the best options in trying to reduce the amount of unhealthy particulates you breathe in throughout the day.

Wildfire smoke can cause a range of health problems, according to health officials: