Local couple will not let smoky conditions ruin their special day

The smoke hovering around Western Washington due to wildfires will stick around throughout the entire weekend impacting plans and events for many.

Q13 Meteorologist Tim Joyce says the heavy smoke surrounding much of Western Washington will linger throughout the weekend and most likely into early next week.

The smoke is having impacts on city amenities. Seattle Parks and Tacoma Metro Parks announced facility closures due to the heavy smoke.

Officials suggest avoiding going outside if possible, but for some that is difficult.

“Right when we decided to finally tie-the-knot, we get hit with bump, after bump, after bump,” said Ralph Kinne.

Kinne and his fiancé Cynthia Thurston are getting married Saturday.

Originally, the couple planned to get married in June, but COVID-19 prevented that from happening.

Not only is the couple dealing with a smoke cloud hovering over their wedding day, they also had to deal with the stress of being forced from their home earlier this week due to evacuations from wildfires.

“I cried every day. I was so upset because we have been planning this for two years and we just didn’t know if it would even happen. We didn’t know if our home was gonna go down. We didn’t know if all the other things we had to leave behind would be gone,” said Cynthia Thurston.

The couple is back in their home at this point, and despite the smoke their wedding is scheduled to go off.

Kinne says he sees the silver lining in all of it.

“With all the challenges with the pandemic earlier on, I see that smoke and say that’s just another bump in the road to get married and fulfilled what we’ve been planning for two years,” he said.

Officials with Tacoma-Pierce County Health department suggest these tips to protect yourself from the smoky conditions:

•             Avoid physical exertion
•             Stay indoors
•             Close windows and doors
•             Use a HEPA air cleaner (avoid cleaners with ionizing or                            electrostatic features)
•             Run an air conditioning unit (set it to re-circulate)
•             Limit other indoor air pollution (smoking/vaping, strong cleaning                products, fragrances, candles, and don’t use the vacuum)

For more tips on staying safe click here.