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Air quality not a concern as Washington State, Boise State prepare for tonight’s game

Washington State takes the field against Montana State during the first half of the season opener last week at Martin Stadium. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

PULLMAN – There’s bound to be more than a few obstacles awaiting the Cougars and Broncos tonight at Martin Stadium. Air quality won’t be one of them.

Neither team should have any trouble breathing when the game kicks off at 7:30 and fans won’t have to worry about inhaling the smoke that poured into the region from wildfires across the Pacific Northwest.

The air in Pullman is the cleanest it’s been all week, with AQI (Air Quality Index) numbers dropping below 100 for the first time since Monday. Two-and-a-half hours before kickoff, the AQI was measured at 66, or “moderate.”

Earlier in the week, air quality hit the “unhealthy” threshold, meaning the AQI was somewhere between 151-200. That forced the WSU football team to get all of its prep work done indoors this week, pushing the Cougars inside their practice bubble Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Smokey air in Boise also caused the Broncos to take shelter this week.