Authorities are urging people to limit time spent outdoors in East Idaho because wildfire smoke continues to affect the region’s air quality, though conditions have shown some improvement since the weekend.

On Monday the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality extended its air quality advisory for Bannock, Bingham, Caribou, Oneida and Power counties through Wednesday. The advisory’s severity has eased somewhat since it was first issued Sunday — air quality is now forecast to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, an improvement from the more severe Unhealthy classification over the weekend.

Officials said the general public is less likely to be affected under the updated advisory, though sensitive groups still face real risk.

On Sunday air quality monitor data showed deteriorating conditions were impacting most if not all of East Idaho. Monitors in the Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Victor areas were all showing unhealthy air quality Sunday afternoon, while the monitor in the Preston area was reading even worse — Hazardous, the highest and most severe air quality category.

As of Monday morning, air quality monitors were showing moderately healthy air quality in East Idaho except for the five counties under the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups advisory and in the Preston area, where the air was still listed as Hazardous, meaning people and pets should stay indoors as much as possible and avoid outdoor activity.

The source of the smoke isn’t local, though multiple large wildfires are burning in East Idaho. The National Weather Service says the bad air has been driven into East Idaho by wildfires burning hundreds of miles away in Oregon and Washington state.

Officials say people in sensitive groups — including children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory problems — are encouraged to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity for the duration of the advisory through Wednesday. All other individuals are also recommended to limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity.