2012 Wenatchee

Canyons Fire Smoke

Response

Glenn Johnson, Cashmere School District

Superintendent

Bryan Visscher, Wenatchee School District

Director of Facilities and Risk Management

The Initial Event

Saturday September 8, 2012

o Lightning Storm

o 4,000 lightning strikes

in North Central

Washington

o Over 100 fires

o 56,478 acres burned

o 2,062 firefighters

56 crews

147 engines

14 helicopters

11 dozers

o October 4, 2012 rains

ended the fire and

smoke crisis.

Smoke Crisis

Smoke Crisis

Duration of exposure to wildfire smoke was unprecedented in

Washington State and rare world-wide.

Concentrations of smoke are also very rare in a community,

typically only seen in the immediate area of the fire.

Fire duration 26 days.

Health Emergency

Declaration and

Incident Command

System endured for 23

days.

Measuring Air Quality

Washington Air Quality Advisory

(WAQA) Scale

o 0-50 = Good

o 51-100 = Moderate

o 101-150 = Unhealthy for

Sensitive Persons

o 151-200 = Unhealthy

o 201-300 = Very Unhealthy

o 301-500 = Hazardous

Wenatchee some days @ 600

Cashmere @ 900

Department of Ecology and

Health Department

communicated using

Pm2.5 ug/m3.

o 0 - 13.4 ug/m3 = Good

o 13.5 - 20.4 = Moderate

o 20.5 - 35.4 = Unhealthy

for Sensitive Persons

o 35.5 - 80.4 = Unhealthy

o 80.5 - 135.4 = Very

Unhealthy

o > 135.5 = Hazardous

Communicating Air Quality

Different Air Quality

Measurements created

confusion.

On one occasion a school

official read a report of

81ug/m3 (very unhealthy)

and compared to WAQA

chart, interpreting it as

Moderate. Outdoor

practices and recesses

were approved.

Wenatchee School District

Communicated Simply:

The Chelan Douglas Health

District has made the

determination that the air

quality in our valley

continues to be at

"Hazardous" levels.

That means:

Everyone should stay

indoors.

Cultural Responses of Wenatchee

Schools

WSD Administrators

relied on Chelan

Douglas Health

District for decision

making.

In Wenatchee, schools

were considered as

healthy or better than

children's own homes.

o Recesses held inside.

o Athletic practices bussed

to surrounding districts or

rented Sportsplex.

o Outdoor athletic contests

relocated to Moses Lake

and other sites.

o Staff encouraged reduce

frequency of door opening

as much as possible.

CHANGE IS HARDER FOR SOME

Chelan Douglas Health District

• Leadership for

decision making

• Held regular

teleconference

meetings with

school officials to

plan, share, and

problem-solve Barry Kling -- CDHD

Chelan Douglas Health District

• Walked schools with district personnel to

spot-measure ug/m3 indoor and outdoor

• Demonstrated safety of air in building vs

outdoor o Lincoln Elementary measured 600 ug/m3 outdoors 30

ug/m3 indoors

• Able to show reading to staff to calm fear of

the unknown

Vulture Descends

• During week 1 a national disaster recover

company drove into town, unsolicited, with a

truck full of air scrubbers

• Confusion as to “Free” through Red Cross

• One week $10,000

• Replaced with new scrubbers provided

through Canfield & Associates

Smoke Alarm

• Friday September 14 3:00 p.m.

• Extreme smoke conditions around high school

• Dismissal bell at WHS students leave en-masse

• Energy management system turned off supply

fans

• Building entered into negative air pressure state

• Enough smoke pulled into building to set off

smoke alarms throughout the building.

Smoke Alarm

• Fire alarm system would not reset o Smoke in building

o Tar residue on detector

• Unclear if school could open on Monday

• HVAC Techs set temporary programs o All fans on 24/7

o All economizers set to minimum

• Fire alarm tech and custodian cleaned detectors

over weekend

• School opened Monday for 2,400 students

Best Practice Established

• All buildings set to run

supply fans 24/7

• All economizers set to

minimum

• Placed all buildings into

positive pressure

• Air scrubbers placed in

all common areas

Best Practice Established

• 60 small air purifiers

purchased for portables

and sensitive individuals o Costco

o Lowe’s

o Home Depot

• Pm 2.5 air quality

monitoring

demonstrated

effectiveness

Air Purifiers

Calming Fear of the Unknown

• Respiratory distress

• Fear for children’s

health

• Carbon Monoxide!

• Long term health

fears

• Air Quality walk-

throughs with CDHD

• Presence of HVAC

Techs

• Providing air

purifiers

• CO Detector WITH

DISPLAY!

• Repeat CDHD

Talking Points

Risk Pool Assistance

• Provided air

scrubber rental for

entire district

• Provided

environmental

hygienist support

• Provided financial

support

• Smoke response

treated as typical

insurance claim

• Multiple districts

reduced deductible

from $10k to

$3,333.33

• Ultimate claim

$61,509.74 paid

Risk Pool Assistance

• Vulture rental fees

• Small air purifier

purchases

• HVAC filter

replacements

• Mountain bus air

filter replacements

• CO2 and CO

detector purchases

• Smoke response

treated as typical

insurance claim

• Multiple districts

reduced Deductible

from $10k to

$3,333.33

• Ultimate claim

paid$61,509.74