Smoke clouds practice schedule

As the dry conditions worsen, fires are becoming more frequent, causing unhealthy smoke conditions. With those conditions, schools in Lake County are having to make the call about where their sports teams can practice. This past week, schools up and down the valley have had to move indoors for practice, causing gyms to get a little crowded.

Last week, the Montana High School Association sent out a memo about the impact of air quality on high school activities. The memo included a link to the Department of Environmental Quality and a link to current air quality conditions.

Mark Beckman, the executive director of the MHSA said schools are responsible for examining local air quality, talking to their local health department and deciding whether or not to have outdoor activities.

For judging air quality, visibility is used. To determine visibility, one faces away from the sun and measures the limit of visible range by looking for targets at known distances. Visible range is a point at which even high contrast objects totally disappear. If objects can be seen 13.4 miles away or more, the quality is good. If the visible range is between 5.1 and 13.3 miles, the quality is moderate/unhealthy for sensitive reactions. If the visible range is 2.2 miles to 5 miles, the air is unhealthy. In that instance, schools consider postponing or delaying outdoor activities, especially with high exertion sports like soccer or football. If visibility is 1.3 to 2.1 miles, the quality is very unhealthy. In that case, the recommendation is to move all athletic practices indoors. If the visibility is 1.3 miles or less, the quality is considered hazardous. The recommendation is to cancel all outdoor activities and relocate indoors.

Ronan Principal Kevin Kenelty said the school is going by the measurements set up by the Department of Environmental Health and sent to them through the MHSA. The Ronan football team is set to play Boulder on Friday night, but that might change if the air stays poor. “We’ve been in contact with Boulder, and if they have better air quality than us, we might travel there,” he said, “If we both have unhealthy air, we might just cancel because it is a preseason game.”