Anyone who has stepped outside in the past few weeks has probably noticed something a little different about the air in Western Colorado.

Since the beginning of July, wildfires have been ravaging Mesa County and its neighbors. The Turner Gulch Fire, north of Gateway, has collectively burned over 31,000 acres and is 53% contained as of Aug. 14 according to watchduty.org.

CBS reported that the Lee Fire, burning in Rio Blanco and Garfield counties, has consumed over 127,000 acres and is only 3% contained as of Aug.14, making it the fifth largest wildfire that Colorado has ever experienced.

Smoke from both of these fires has been pouring into the Grand Valley. On July 16, Grand Junction reached 175 on the Air Quality Index (AQI), which is considered unhealthy — the worst since 2020.

“It makes it a little harder because it gets muggier, hotter, and it can bug your eyes as well,” said GJHS varsity tennis player Jacob Smith.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends for sensitive groups to avoid physical activity when the AQI is anything above 100. 

“If it gets to 150 on this particular scale we have to start adapting practice, and if it rises above that we have to actually cancel practice,” said GJHS athletic director Shawn Marsh.