From blue and beautiful to gray and smelly

Smoke from huge wildfires burning in Central and Northeast Washington in August made life a challenge not only for those who live in those areas but also for residents in the rest of Eastern Washington, Spokane and the West Plains. Hazardous particulate levels forced people to stay indoors while schools and area universities had to adjust their outdoor sports practice schedules.

In the two pictures above by staff reporter Paul Delaney, Roos Field is shown at top on the morning of Aug. 22 prior to a scrimmage by the EWU Eagles football team. The bottom image shows the same perspective two days later on Aug. 24 when particulate levels reached a hazardous to health 185 parts per million.