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Unhealthy smoky air blankets Northwest

 United States

A man wears a mask on 36th and Division in southeast Portland, Ore., on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Tuesday issued several air quality advisories. It says air quality was unhealthy in the Portland region, as well as in areas including Pendleton, Grants Pass, Medford and Pendleton. Photo: Mark Graves, The Oregonian via AP

Unhealthy air filled with smoke from wildfires blanketed the Northwest again on Wednesday.

Washington state had the worst air quality in the country, according to the National Weather Service.

In the central Washington cities of Chelan and Wenatchee the air quality Wednesday reached the hazardous level, prompting Chelan County officials to distribute masks.

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According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 13 large wildfires have burned more than 211 square miles (546 square kilometers) in Washington state this year, while in Oregon, 10 large fires have scorched over 256 square miles (663 square kilometers) the Seattle Times reported . About 600 wildfires are burning across British Columbia.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said Wednesday that the air quality in Portland and Medford was unhealthy.