Living here

Air quality, smoke and burn bans

Today’s air quality reading and forecast for the Tri-Cities, whether you can burn yard debris in Benton County, and what to do on smoky days.

Air quality now in Kennewick

41 Good

Air quality is satisfactory.

AQI from PM2.5, reported 21:00 PDT. Source: Washington Department of Ecology via EPA AirNow.

Forecast

Thursday, Oct 8: Good
Friday, Oct 9: Good

Residential burning today (Benton County)

Burn Day · October 8, 2026

You may burn today from 9:00am to 5:30pm.

Only outside urban growth areas; residential burning inside them is permanently banned. Source: Benton Clean Air Agency, burn line 509-783-6198.

What the numbers mean

AQI	Category	What to do
0–50	Good	Enjoy the outdoors.
51–100	Moderate	Unusually sensitive people should ease off long or heavy exertion.
101–150	Unhealthy for sensitive groups	Kids, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with heart or lung disease should cut back outdoor exertion.
151–200	Unhealthy	Everyone should cut back; sensitive groups should avoid long or heavy exertion.
201–300	Very unhealthy	Everyone should avoid long or heavy exertion outdoors.
301+	Hazardous	Everyone should avoid all outdoor exertion.

Summer wildfire smoke and spring windstorms that kick up dust are the two main causes of bad air here. Smoke can arrive from fires hundreds of miles away.

On smoky days

Keep windows and doors closed and run air conditioning on recirculate.
A portable HEPA air cleaner, or a box fan with a MERV 13 filter attached, can clean the air in one room.
Cloth and paper dust masks do not filter smoke. A well-fitted N95 does.
Move outdoor practices, games and hard workouts indoors or to another day when the air is unhealthy.

Smoke guidance: AirNow wildfire smoke guide · Washington State Department of Health

Burning rules

Where	Rules	Contact
Benton County, inside urban growth areas	Residential burning of yard debris is permanently banned. Fireplaces, wood stoves, BBQs, campfires and windblown tumbleweeds are allowed unless a ban says otherwise.	Benton Clean Air Agency
Benton County, outside urban growth areas	Dry natural vegetation only, on burn days, one pile no larger than 4×4×3 feet, 50 feet from structures, attended at all times. No burn barrels.	Burn line 509-783-6198
Franklin County	No local clean air agency, so the state Department of Ecology calls burn bans. Residents may have recreational fires (dry seasoned wood or charcoal, under 3 feet across, 25 feet from structures) and may burn windblown tumbleweeds on approved burn days. No garbage, lumber, plastics or tires.	Burn line 509-545-3586

Fire districts and state parks can add their own summer burn bans that cover campfires too. When in doubt, ask your fire district.