Wildfires not severely impacting air quality
Wildfire smoke has made its way to metro Phoenix, but this is not cause for alarm, because air quality has stayed within the federal health standard, weather officials say.
“The air quality monitors, especially the PM2.5, which is the smoke monitors around the Valley, actually haven’t seen levels above ‘moderate,’ ” said Matt Pace, air quality meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. “Yesterday, all the monitors were still in the ‘good’ (air quality index) category.”
Since the beginning of the month, multiple wildfires have been burning across the state, with the most recently ignited fire being the Water Springs Fire, which started Thursday west of Grand
Canyon West. The fire’s area has been kept below 500 acres.
The smoke that was seen this weekend in metro Phoenix came from the Rafael Fire burning near Sedona, Pace said.
“We’ve had a little bit of change in our weather pattern, and that’s actually allowing the smoke to move from north to south,” he said. “The majority (of smoke) has actually stayed above the Valley with just a light impact here at the surface.”
The Rafael Fire has been burning since June 18, north of Perkinsville in north-central Arizona, affecting the Prescott, Kaibab and Coconino National Forests and spanning the Yavapai/Coconino County line, according to InciWeb.
The wildfire was started by lightning and has consumed 77,102 acres with 48% contained as of Monday afternoon.
Pace said the Backbone Fire has calmed down and there is not much smoke coming from it, nor from the Telegraph and Mescal fires, which are no longer producing smoke.
The Backbone Fire, burning about 75 miles southeast of Flagstaff in northcentral Arizona, has consumed 40,855 acres with 43% contained as of Monday afternoon, according to InciWeb.
The Telegraph Fire, south of Globe about 88 miles east of Phoenix in central Arizona’s Tonto National Forest, has consumed 180,756 with 91% contained as of Monday afternoon.
Pace said the Telegraph Fire did bring “quite a bit of smoke” into the Valley on
June 14 and 15.
On June 15, there was widespread smoke and the air quality index reached 76, according to Pace.
But this number is within the “moderate” air quality range and, as of Monday, the index has not topped 100, at which point the air is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
The air quality index comprises six levels, ranging from “good” to “hazardous,” according to the American Lung Association.
“Good” air falls within zero to 50 on the index, and the air quality is identified as “unhealthy” starting at 151.
Those who are at risk for being impacted by wildfire smoke are those with heart or lung diseases, children and older people.
But people in metro Phoenix should not worry too much about the current smoke, although Pace said if you can smell smoke, you should limit outdoor activity and stay inside as a precaution.
He also advised anyone in areas impacted by smoke to run an air filtration system with a high-efficiency particulate absorbing filter, to close windows and to temporarily leave the area, if possible.
With moisture coming in this week, Pace said the fires are expected to die down a little bit. Smolder and smoke will still be out there but it will not be at the same levels seen this past weekend, he said.
This week there will be an increase in dust, according to the forecast, and there is a high pollution advisory in place Monday and Tuesday, as the monsoon becomes more active and there could be dust storms in the Valley.