PORT TOWNSEND — An inversion layer could have been the cause of an influx of smoke into Port Townsend on Friday that blanketed the area and caused burning eyes and respiratory issues.

The air is expected to continue to deteriorate over the next several days with air stagnation and the inversion layer continuing over the region next week, according to the National Weather Service.

East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR) was initially unaware of an identifiable source on Friday, as was Jefferson County Emergency Management. Smoke could be seen all across the area beginning at about 1:45 p.m.

“Engine 16 uptown was looking across the valley from the courthouse and could see the smoke in the air,” said Brian Tracer, EJFR assistant fire chief/ fire marshal.

“I happened to be in the area by Salish Elementary on Discovery around 4 p.m. and saw it and smelled it. It was white and smelled like a wood fire.

“At 4:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. someone called to say there was a burn pile at the 2400 block of Cook and Hastings. There were three small slash piles in a clearing operation.”

Tracer questioned whether that burn provided enough smoke to be the source.

“I also saw three chimneys with smoke coming straight up from them,” he said.

Tracer blamed the weather.

“Perhaps there is an inversion layer out there today,” he said.

An inversion layer is when warm air is held above cooler air. It tends to trap pollution, including smoke and fog, close to the ground.

Jacob DeFlitch, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, agreed with Tracer’s assessment.

“It’s more than likely that’s the case,” DeFlitch said. “There is warmer air moving in from the south and there were very light winds out of the west for a brief time and that may have brought in smoke” from elsewhere.

”It’s possible that there a shallow inversion set up.

“It’s hard to scrub the smoke out of the air when there is very little wind, so it just sat there.”

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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.