Smoke Ready Spokane

*Grace Fletcher, Olivia Hinds, and Joseph Baum.

As climate change intensifies, so does the length and devastation of the summer wildfire season. According to a recent report from the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE), wildfire smoke is lowering life expectancy in Spokane and across Washington state. ⁸   Spokane was highlighted as a community in Washington that is “overburdened” by air pollution; overburdened community members live an average of 2.4 years less than other Washingtonian communities. ⁹   Overburdened communities are also more likely to already be experiencing health impacts that could make them more susceptible to smoke, such as asthma as well as lung and heart disease. 

There is also an environmental justice aspect when it comes to wildfire smoke in Spokane. Those who don’t have access to shelter, water, appropriate HVAC systems, and other resources are disproportionately impacted by wildfire smoke events. Our team interviewed 11 community organizations and businesses about their experience regarding activity during wildfire smoke events, and many shared that they find an increase in visitation during extreme smoke events as community members seek clean air. They especially see an increase in visitation from Spokane’s houseless population, as these individuals have limited areas to shelter. You can learn more about these results in the "Interview Questions/Results" section.

The risks Spokane faces when it comes to wildfire smoke are varying. The DOE report found that around 65 deaths occur each year among adults in Spokane and Spokane Valley which are associated with the fine particulate air pollution that is largely derived from wildfire smoke. ⁹   Long-term exposure to air pollution like this can clearly have negative effects on the Spokane population. Children can suffer from asthma development while adults can suffer from increased risk of chronic cardiovascular conditions. Due to the forested nature of the greater Spokane area, the DOE report also predicts longer fire and wildfire smoke seasons due to climate change exasperating drying periods in the area. ⁸  

Our team has conducted preliminary community work to understand the potential for future community resilience hubs in Spokane. Resilience hubs function as community serving facilities with the purpose of supporting residents and coordinating resource distribution and services before, during, or after a disruption - in this case, extreme wildfire smoke. ¹⁰   When designed and implemented well, resilience hubs can equitably enhance community resilience while improving local quality of life. ¹⁰  We conducted interviews with community centers across Spokane to understand what resilience resources they can provide for the Spokane community. Scroll down to view our results.

14 community centers were contacted for an interview to gauge their interest in potentially becoming a resilience hub, or where Spokane community members can go during extreme heat events. 11 community centers were interviewed, some of which were conducted in person while others were done over email. Press on each pin on the map below to view specific results.

1. Airway Heights Recreation Center
2. Emmanuel Presbyterian Church
3. Gonzaga University
4. North Spokane Library
5. Southside Community Center
6. Southwest Spokane Community Center
7. Spokane Public Library - Central
8. Spokane Public Library - Liberty Park
9. Spokane Public Library - Shadle Park
10. The Hive - A Spokane Public Library
11. West Central Community Center

1. Can people stay here during the day during extreme events? (Smoke AQI > unhealthy or 201 and heat > 90 degrees)?
2. What would your threshold be for extreme events?
3. Would people need to pay for your services or could they come in without paying?
4. If people can stay here, how long would you let them stay?
5. Do you have any resources that people can access? (Water, seats, masks, public restrooms, AC, HVAC systems)?
6. Would you be willing to upgrade HVAC systems with financial support?
7. Where do you get your electricity? Do you have backup options? Would you be open to adding solar paneling and allowing us to help find financial support?
8. Would you be willing to let us help train your staff on how to be prepared during an extreme event?
9. Are you willing to put literature on climate impacts in your building?
10. Would you allow pets in your facility during an extreme event?
11. Has or how has your community been impacted by extreme smoke events?
12. If yes, what specific concerns or areas of support have been noticed?
13. Are there other organizations you think that we should reach out to?

• 55% of community centers interviewed said "yes" to allowing people to shelter during extreme events. 36% said "no" and 9% said "maybe."
• All of the community centers that allow people to come in during extreme events were willing to put up climate literature in the building. Other community centers that weren’t able to house people were either willing to put up climate literature, didn’t have the authority to give permissions for that, or did not answer the question after saying they wouldn’t allow people to stay.
• For an AQI threshold, many said "yes" to over 200, with one responding with "151" and another saying "danger level." Others did not know or did not answer directly.
• Most places did not require payment for those to stay, with the exception of Airway Heights which is a membership recreation facility.
• 87% responded that people could only stay during business hours and not overnight. Two expressed that this would be based on funding to remain open beyond normal business hours in extreme events. One said overnight stay would be an administrative decision.
• Many community centers attested to already offering AC and masks. Many of the libraries recently received building renovations and new HVAC systems. Others mentioned having computer access, free WiFi, hand sanitizer, and charging stations. One said that additional resources would need administration approval.
• Multiple community centers said that upgrading their HVAC systems would be an administrative decision.

The Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment is continuing work to create community resilience hubs across Spokane to improve adaptation strategies to wildfire smoke. Using the interview results above, the Climate Institute can begin to work with community centers to establish resilience hubs across Spokane. The Institute's hope is that these resilience hubs will provide support for Spokane residents of all demographics and backgrounds, improving environmental justice considerations across the city.

Thanks to a $1.1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Smoke Ready Spokane initiative will conduct smoke health awareness outreach, air-quality monitoring, and HVAC upgrades. This initiative will work with the City of Spokane to develop a comprehensive smoke readiness plan. In addition, the Climate Institute will work with partners around Spokane to create community resilience hubs. The Climate Institute is using this grant to begin battling environmental justice issues in Spokane by collaborating with these community centers to serve disadvantaged and marginalized communities.

As the Climate Institute works to increase community resilience, community members can also take individual action to protect themselves against the impacts of wildfire smoke. To alleviate health impacts, you can check local air quality reports and AQI levels to stay informed and educated, stay indoors if possible and keep windows and doors closed, reduce physical activity, wear an N-95 mask, and drink lots of water. 

Although wildfires and their smoke are increasingly pressing issues, the Spokane community will continue to increase our resilience. As the Climate Institute works to increase community resilience, keeping up with our work is one way you can stay involved with Spokane’s resilience development.

To stay informed about the Climate Institute’s work, check in on resilience progress, and learn more, visit our website at   www.gonzaga.edu/Climate-Institute  .

[1] Department of Agriculture, USDA Climate Hubs. Climate Change and Wildfire in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. [online]. [Accessed 4 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/climate-change-and-wildfire-idaho-oregon-and-washington# 

[2] Washington State Department of Ecology. Wildfire risks. [online]. [Accessed 4 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://ecology.wa.gov/air-climate/responding-to-climate-change/wildfire-risks#:~:text=Climate%20change%20increases%20wildfire%20risks 

[3] American Lung Association, Editorial Staff. How Wildfires Affect Our Health. [online]. Jan. 2016 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://www.lung.org/blog/how-wildfires-affect-health#. 

[4] AirNow. (AQI) Basics. [online]. [Accessed 10 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/ 

[5] U.S. EPA. Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease Basics. [online]. [Accessed 3 June 2024]. Available from:  https://www.epa.gov/air-research/air-pollution-and-cardiovascular-disease-basics 

[6] Prunicki M. Inequitable Health Impacts from Wildfire Smoke Increased by Danger Season. [online]. The Equation, Union of Concerned Scientists. 19 Sept. 2022 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://blog.ucsusa.org/science-blogger/inequitable-health-impacts-from-wildfire-smoke-increased-by-danger-season/#. 

[7] Moudy S, Van Hyning, C. Report: Inland Power Security Light Sparked Gray Fire That Destroyed More than 240 Homes in Spokane County. [online]. Krem.com. 7 Feb. 2024 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/wildfire/inland-power-caused-devastating-gray-fire-washington-spokane-county/293-b7c96ff9-5f37-4529-a683-9013b2afb666 

[8] Sullender A. Wildfire Smoke Increased Death Rate in Spokane Compared to Statewide Metric, Says New State Report. [online]. Spokesman.Com, The Spokesman Review. 29 Dec. 2024 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/dec/29/wildfire-smoke-increased-death-rate-in-spokane-com/# 

[9] Washington StateDepartment of Ecology, Air Quality Program. Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities Highly Impacted by Air Pollution. [online]. Dec. 2023 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/documents/2302115.pdf 

[10] Baja K. Guide to Developing Resilience Hubs. [online]. Urban Sustainability Directors Network. 2019 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2024]. Available from:  https://resilience-hub.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/USDN_ResilienceHubsGuidance-1.pdf