Air quality to turn foul as wildfires rage
Even if you’re not in any sort of immediate fire danger, you’re in danger of being affected by fire – local health officials are warning of foul air.
They had recommendations for area residents as wildfires continue spreading in neighboring counties.
Public Health Officers in Yuba and Sutter counties and the Feather River Air Quality Management District issued a joint air quality health advisory.
Southerly winds are bringing in smoke from the County Fire in Yolo County and other regional wildfires in the Sacramento Valley. That could continue for several days as the winds may persist through the week.
“Residents with lung or heart disease, and the elderly are advised to leave areas where levels of particulate matter are high,” said Sutter County Health Officer Lou Anne Cummings, in a press release. “For everyone else, when you smell smoke, or see smoke around you, you should consider staying indoors and avoiding heavy exertion.”
Smoke density can vary widely from one local area to another and time of day is also a factor.
“Air quality conditions depend on a number of factors, which include proximity to the fire, wind speed and direction, and whether inversions are present,” said Air Pollution Control Officer Christopher D. Brown.
To check current conditions, visit: airnow.gov. Residents can also sign up for air quality forecasts and alerts at: fraqmd.org.
According to the press release, residents who see or smell smoke should consider these precautionary measures:
■ Healthy people should delay strenuous exercise, particularly when they can smell smoke.
■ Children and elderly people should consider avoiding outdoor activities, particularly prolonged outdoor exertion. Parents of children involved in youth sports programs should consider whether their children should be allowed to participate when smoke is in the air.
■ People with health-related illnesses, particularly respiratory problems, should remain indoors.
■ Keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. Use the recycle or recirculate mode on the air conditioner in your home or car.
■ Avoid the use of NON-HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) paper face mask filters which are not capable of filtering extra fine particles. Do not rely on HEPA face mask filters to do unnecessary outdoor activities.
■ Keep airways moist by drinking lots of water. Breathing through a warm, wet washcloth can also help relieve dryness, but does not filter out the hazardous smoke particles.
■ Avoid the fire areas. Wildfire smoke may contain particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide and toxic air contaminants. While all people may experience varying degrees of symptoms, more sensitive individuals, such as the young, aged and those with respiratory conditions are at greatest risk of experiencing more aggravated symptoms. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to, coughing, watery and itchy eyes, and difficulty breathing. A person experiencing questionable or severe symptoms should seek professional medical advice and treatment.
“Call your doctor if you have cough, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, or other concerning symptoms,” said Yuba County Health Officer Nicole Quick.
The following index may also assist in assessing the air quality based on the visibility in your area. To assess visibility: Face away from the sun. Determine visibility range by looking for targets that are at known distances (miles). You can use an electronic device map app or a map of the local area that has a mile scale. The visible range is the point where even high-contrast objects disappear.