By Alexander Ziwahatan Founder, Omnithion | Candidate for Governor of Oregon The Silent Threat in Our Skies When wildfire season hits Oregon, the devastation isn’t limited to flames. Long after the last embers are out, another disaster lingers — in the air we breathe. Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles, blanketing cities like Portland, Eugene, and Bend in thick, toxic haze. In 2020, air quality in parts of Oregon ranked worst in the world , with PM2.5 levels exceeding safe limits by more than 10× . Even in years with fewer megafires, seasonal smoke pushes asthma ER visits up by 20–40% and increases cardiovascular events in vulnerable populations. But wildfire smoke isn’t the only culprit. Vehicle emissions, industrial activity, and stagnant air during heat waves combine to create year-round pollution hazards — a hidden killer that the World Health Organization estimates causes 7 million premature deaths globally each year . We’ve accepted dirty air as an inevita...