A coalition of Oregon state agencies are asking Oregonians to voluntarily refrain from conducting outdoor burning.  The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office, Oregon Department of Agriculture, and Oregon Health Authority say they recognize that many Oregonians use fire as a necessary tool to manage their lands, but say possible effects on the wider community should be considered.  Smoke inhalation can cause upper respiratory symptoms, which could be incorrectly attributed to COVID-19, leading to unnecessary testing or self-isolation.  Exposure to smoke and other forms of air pollution can increase the risk of contracting infectious respiratory disease such as COVID-19, increase the severity of existing respiratory infections, and worsen underlying chronic respiratory conditions.  The agencies note there is a severe shortage of personal protective equipment to reduce smoke exposure at this time, and first responders and other emergency services are operating at a reduced capacity and have limited resources to respond to out-of-control burns.