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The New Normal: Can We Learn To Live With Wildfire Smoke?

Jes Burns/OPB

The New Normal: Can We Learn To Live With Wildfire Smoke?

Wildfire season in southern Oregon and far-northern California is starting earlier, lasting longer and putting more smoke into the air than ever before. Rural economies based on tourism and outdoor recreation are seeing losses mount, year after year, as visitors cancel vacations to smoke-afflicted areas. Now, locals are facing the prospect of a "new normal" that threatens the livability of their communities.