SANDPOINT — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has extended its air quality advisory for North Idaho through Sunday.

The initial advisory issued Thursday included Kootenai, Shoshone, Bonner and Benewah counties. Boundary County was added to the latest advisory on Friday.

The weekend’s air quality is forecasted to remain “unhealthy for sensitive groups” due to high concentrations of PM2.5, a fire atmospheric particulate matter attributed primarily to wildfire smoke.

People with heart or lung conditions, older adults, children and teens can be particularly sensitive to PM2.5, according to AirNow. On Friday evening, the air quality index in Bonner County was 145 while in Boundary County, the AQI was 94. In Kootenai County, the AQI was 108; in Shoshone County, the AQI was 86, an

See Full Page