Fire Chief Thomas Judge would like to make residents aware that hazy conditions visible in town and throughout the region are the results of western wildfires, and urge precautions to protect their respiratory health. Smoke has been carried east via the jetstream from fires burning in Oregon and elsewhere, resulting in reduced air quality and smoke odor locally. Residents are urged to avoid outdoor activities while smoky conditions persist. The National Weather Service and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection have issued an air quality alert for the region. The DEP alert remains in effect until midnight Tuesday July 27. The air quality alert means that particles and pollution in the air have reached unhealthy levels. The DEP advises that the air quality may cause health effects even in otherwise healthy people. Residents are urged to avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and should consider moving outdoor events inside or rescheduling them. Those with asthma should keep quick relief medicine handy.