Smoke fills the sky over Bend in 2021. 

Bend recorded the worst air quality in the state Wednesday morning as smoke from Western Oregon wildfires settled over the region.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory for the region through Friday morning. Conditions are expected to improve over the weekend from unhealthy to moderate air quality.

Kassidy Kern, a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson who works with Central Oregon Fire Info, said cooler temperatures this weekend could reduce fire activity in the Willamette and Umpqua national forests, which are causing the smoke in Central Oregon. Less fire could mean less smoke in Central Oregon, Kern said.

The Jack Fire is burning more than 23,000 acres east of Roseburg, while the Middle Complex Fire is burning more than 1,700 acres east of Eugene.

“We really don’t have fires in Central Oregon,” Kern said. “We are just the unhappy recipients of the smoke in other areas.”

Bend Park & Recreation District canceled outdoor swim and tennis lessons Wednesday due to the unhealthy air quality. High Desert Chamber Music canceled its outdoor concert Wednesday night at Bend’s Old Mill District.

Unhealthy air quality affects everyone, especially children, pregnant women and elderly people, Kern said.

“You are going to want to minimize how long you are outside,” Kern said. “It’s very fatiguing for your body to be sucking in smoke for days at a time.”

Kern encourages people to stay hydrated and make sure their doors and windows are closed.

“That way you are circulating air that is in your home,” she said.

Rob Brooks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Pendleton, said a high pressure weather system this week kept the smoke in Central Oregon and caused it to linger like fog.

The weather pattern is expected to change this weekend, bringing winds blowing west to east and cooler temperatures in the high 70s to mid-80s.

“We are going to start getting a westerly wind, which means most likely that is going to start to push smoke into Boise’s area,” Brooks said. “It will try to help push some of the smoke out.”

As the sky clears this weekend, it could turn smoky again early next week, Brooks said. Hot temperatures and dry weather could cause wildfire smoke to linger again, he said.

“The potential for it to clear is possible,” Brooks said. “The bad news is after the weekend we will start to build high pressure again.”

In the meantime, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning indicating dangerous fire weather on Thursday. Lightning and thunderstorms are forecast.