Although only one wildfire is burning in Baker County — near Huntington — smoke from blazes in California and parts of southern and central Oregon is degrading the air quality in Baker County.

As of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10, the air quality index measured at the David J. Wheeler Federal Building in Baker City was 70, which is in the moderate category.

A monitor at the Baker County Library in Baker City reported 89, also in the moderate category.

The index at the Halfway library was 115, at the Haines library 106 and at the Sumpter library 102. Those are all in the unhealthy for sensitive groups category, such as people with asthma or other chronic respiratory ailments.

The air quality index categories:

• 50 or below: good

• 51 to 100: moderate

• 101-150: unhealthy for sensitive groups

• 151-200: unhealthy

• 201-300: very unhealthy

• 301 or higher: hazardous

An air quality map is available at: https://aqicn.org/map/oregon/