40 | October 2020
Oregon wildfire, Sept. 9, 2020
L
ooking out my living room window in Portland, Oregon,
I see flocks of birds swooping through the thick, unre-
lentingly gray air as they search for food and water. A
hummingbird flits among the orange Zauschneria flowers,
ravenously emptying them of nectar. On the ground a squirrel
frantically digs through my garden mulch, looking for sustenance.
All of the windows and doors in my house are closed
because the air outside is filled with dangerous amounts
of particulate matter brought by the smoke from wildfires
blazing through forests up and down the West Coast. I take
the dog outside for quick potty breaks wearing an N95
construction mask. When we come in, we both smell like
we've been sitting for hours around a smoky campfire.
Back inside, I anxiously check my phone and computer for
updates on Portland's air quality and possible evacuation orders.
The answers are both terrifying and less so. The air quality is
hazardous — the worst in the world, but there is no imminent
Wildfires Are Breathing Down on My Home by Judith A. Ross
threat of fire in my city. No need to pack a go bag, though I
am making a mental list of what to put in one, just in case.
This scenario played out day-after-day between La-
bor Day and September 17. Today, as I write this, the
air quality is moderate and we were able to safely go
outside, walk the dog, and open our windows.
During this time, I have questioned whether our decision to
move from the East Coast to the West Coast four years ago
was a mistake. But then, I remind myself that climate change
is happening everywhere. Cold comfort that is. It means that
coping with climate disasters could become part of everyday
life for our children and grandchildren. And, according to the
New York Times, wildfires blazing in the West could hinder de-
veloping lungs, worsen asthma and even lead to the condition
in those who don't have it but are genetically disposed to it.
While many people still believe climate change is something
that happens elsewhere, it impacts us all, wherever we live.
Another article in the New York Times provides an illus-
