First Person: Beauty, Breathing Trouble as Ariz. Smoke Blankets Denver

COMMENTARY | Sunsets in Denver, Colo., this week are beautiful thanks to smoke particles in the air from Arizona's Wallow fire. A pastel rainbow lingers in the sky at dusk, but Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment shows poor visibility and moderate air quality Friday, which means being outside to enjoy it isn't as pleasant as it could be.

In Denver we're experiencing headaches, nasal irritation, some respiratory trouble for those already sensitive to pollution, and even the irritability that seems to come when pollution levels rise in the city, most noticeably in the city's drivers. To the south and in the mountains, it's worse, but here in Denver we're escaping the most serious problems.

Sometimes the first indication that there is a fire in a nearby state is in the mornings, when the sun shining through the smoke particles produces brilliant, almost eerie red-orange sunrises. Evening skies are more subtle but unusually beautiful and colorful compared to the clear blue skies we usually see here. It reminds me some of winter skies on very cold nights in New England. From the Highlands area in the western part of of Denver, the city appears foggy from the smoke, and the view of the mountains, many still covered in snow, is quite hazy.

Denver is not as strongly affected by the Arizona smoke as southern parts of Colorado, but the altitude of the Mile High City already challenges those with poor breathing; air quality is carefully watched. From the foothills nearby, a yellow cloud of pollution can sometimes be seen over the city. It's not uncommon to see residents, especially elderly ones, bringing bottles of oxygen with nasal feeds with them on their daily activities. Many of them will have to remain indoors or limit activities while the smoke remains.

The Denver area is also contributing firefighters, equipment and expertise from mountain areas similar to Arizona's. The Associated Press reports the mountain town of Breckenridge is sending several experts along with a special quick response fire truck. The Front Range area of Colorado is experienced in smaller scale fires of similar type, and firefighters in Colorado's mountain areas receive special training to fight "wildland" fires.

We've had good fortune in that there have been thunderstorms to clean the air and temperatures have been moderate, with ozone pollution limited so far. Still, the persistent flames that firefighters are battling in Arizona continue to send smoke our way and beyond, even to eastern Canada. Shifts in the wind patterns may help keep the effects of the smoke on Denver limited, but the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that appear when one of our neighbors is experiencing a large fire remind us that Arizona is suffering.

Detailed Air Quality Summary, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Colorado firefighters headed to Arizona, Associated Press
Smoke from Wallow Fire reaches Canada, KVOA Tucson
Caitlin Gibbons, Smoke from Arizona fire blanketing Front Range, Denver Post