The smoke blanketing western Washington from devastating fires here, in California and Oregon has forced residents to remain indoors with widows closed. For those of us who live in proximity to these fires – and grapple with their long-term health impacts – it is hell on earth. Last week in western Washington our air was simply not safe to breathe.

This new emergency has been added to the COVID-19 threat. People are stressed and depressed. That is why when the jets were flying over our region doing low-level Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP)s as the smoke was engulfing us &ndas...