MISSOULA, Mont. - The smoke has lifted from the Rice Ridge Fire in Seeley Lake, but people there are still feeling the effects of unprecedented long-term smoke exposure.
Now the Missoula City-County Health Department is teaming up with the University of Montana for a first-of-its-kind local study into what the smoke will mean for residents.
Sandee Cahoon worries about her daughter's health. They live in Seeley Lake, and her daughter hasn't quit coughing since the smoke lifted.
"I don't think (people) understood how bad it was," said Cahoon. "Especially in the morning."
Resident Kim Murphy evacuated her house for more than a week this fire season. She says she's never experienced anything like the smoke that settled in.
"You know, it's so bad that you can taste it," Murphy said. "You feel like you're actually eating smoke when you breathe. And you don't breathe deep, because if you do, it hurts. So you feel light-headed and dizzy most of the time, because you're just breathing really shallow. You know, my chest still hurts when I breathe deep."
Hazardous air quality infiltrated the valley for 36 out of 50 days this summer, sometimes reaching unprecedented levels for hours on end.
"Honestly, I hope people are OK," said air quality specialist Sarah Coefield. "I really hope it doesn't have lasting consequences, and I really hope people are going to be able to recover, but we do know that smoke as bad as it was is really dangerous."
Long-term effects of this kind of exposure aren't fully known. That's why the Missoula City-County Health Department teamed up with the University of Montana to try to learn more for future fire seasons. UM used emergency funds to put on the event Wednesday and had health profession students conducting tests.
Nearly 100 people showed up for lung function, blood pressure and other tests. Researchers will compare the results with other communities. They hope to find funding to hold future studies with these residents in the years to come.
Even though the smoke is gone from Seeley Lake now, that doesn't mean residents aren’t concerned about what the future holds.
"I don't want health problems five years from now from this," Murphy said. "And that might be how long it takes before it shows up. So, yeah, a little worried."
Now people like Murphy are waiting for the day they start to feel normal again.
from Don T Breathe - Google News http://ift.tt/2fj2NpK
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