How to check and track smoke levels in your neighborhood Smoke worsens from August, Oak fires

Due to significant smoke production from the August Complex and Red Salmon wildfires, along with the more recent Oak Fire, Mendocino County officials have warned residents to expect widespread haze and smoke to continue for most of Mendocino County through the weekend.

“Currently, dense smoke from the surrounding wildfires remains elevated over the county,” stated a press release from the Mendocino Air Quality Management District. “However, due to fluctuating wind directions and a high-pressure ridge over California, the smoke aloft may fall to the surface bringing ‘Very Unhealthy’ to ‘Hazardous’ air to the area.”

Air monitors currently show particulate matter concentrations in the “Moderate” to “Unhealthy” range for most parts of the County and “Hazardous” to Willits and its surrounding area. Inland communities may experience episodes of “Very Unhealthy” air quality through Sept. 11.

The coastal areas are expected to have “Good” air quality conditions in the morning before moving into “Moderate” and “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” later in the day.

Based on meteorological conditions, expect smoke impacts to continue in Mendocino County. Extreme fire weather conditions with persistent high pressure may bring impacts of “Very Unhealthy” air and smoke accumulation to valley areas. Consecutive days of extreme hot dry air have increased fire activities and fires are popping back up. Therefore, while surrounding wildfires are active, expect unpredictable smoke impacts to air quality followed by multiple periods of some relief through the next few days, stated the release.

Smoke in heavy concentrations can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Even healthy adults can be affected by smoke. When air quality conditions are “Unhealthy,” everyone should limit prolonged or heavy exertion activities outdoors.

Cloth facial coverings that are used to slow the spread of COVID-19 offer little protection against wildfire smoke, but are better than nothing. The MCAQD recommends following these general precautions to protect your health during a smoke event:

• Minimize or stop outdoor activities, especially exercise.

• Stay indoors with windows and doors closed as much as possible.

• Do not run fans that bring smoky outdoor air inside — examples include swamp coolers, wholehouse fans, and fresh air ventilation systems.

• Run your air-conditioner only if it does not bring smoke in from the outdoors. Change the standard air conditioner filter to a medium or high-efficiency filter. If available, use the “re-circulate” or “recycle” setting on the unit.

• Consider creating a clean air room at home using a purchased or DIY HEPA air purifier. See CDC link provided below for more information.

• Do not smoke, fry food, or do other things that will create indoor air pollution.

• If you have lung disease (including asthma) or heart disease, closely monitor your health and contact your doctor if you have symptoms that worsen.

• Consider leaving the area until smoke conditions improve if you have repeated coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea, unusual fatigue, lightheadedness.

Mendocino County Air Quality Management District

continuously monitors the air quality, reporting the particulate matter and ozone concentrations hourly to its website at www.mendoair.org. For additional information, click on an air quality index range, or the colored tabs below the map.

For more air quality and smoke information visit fire.airnow.gov. For information on wildfire smoke and COVID-19, visit www. cdc.gov/disasters/covid-19/ wildfire_smoke_covid-19. html, and to sign up for air quality notifications, see www.enviroflash.info/ signup.cfm.

With dozens of major fires burning from Wine Country to the Santa Cruz Mountains, Salinas to the Mount Hamilton foothills, smoke levels are bad across the Bay Area and Northern California. Breathing it can harm your health.

There are several websites to find real-time information about air quality and smoke levels in your community. All of the sites use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index, which ranks air pollution levels on a 0-500 scale, with green and yellow being the best, and red and purple the worst. They are:

1) Purple Air — Founded in 2015, the site sells outdoor air monitors that measure dust, smoke, soot, and other particulates. The site tracks thousands of its sensors on a worldwide map, allowing anyone to enter a zip code, zoom in and see current air quality in their community, along with the trend there in recent days. www.purpleair. com

2) Air Now — This website, maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provides similar real-time air pollution data. www.airnow.gov

3) Spare the Air — Operated

by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, this site provides air pollution measurements in the nine-county Bay Area, along with a five-day forecast, information about commuter incentives and rules on wood-burning fireplaces. Information is at www.sparetheair.org or www.baaqmd.gov/aboutair-quality/current-airquality

4) Air Visual — A worldwide map of air quality sensors in big cities is here, although it’s not as extensive as Purple Air’s. But the site does show fascinating wind direction graphics and ranks which cities have the worst particulate pollution globally. www.airvisual.com/worldair-quality

5. Windy.com — See which direction the wind is blowing, along with other weather information, in a stylish format. www.windy. com

On all of these sites, make sure you are looking at readings for what’s called “PM 2.5.” That’s scientific jargon for “particulate matter that is 2.5 microns in size or smaller.” Those are microscopic, tiny bits of soot and dust: Each particle is less than one-tenth the width of a human hair.

Such tiny particles are unhealthy. They float in the air longer than heavier particles, and can embed deep in the lungs and even the bloodstream when people breathe them. They are linked to asthma, bronchitis, heart attacks and other ailments when people are exposed for long periods of time, and they can be particularly harmful to children and the elderly.

Health experts, including officials at the Bay Area air district, recommend staying indoors as much as possible when levels on the Air Quality Index exceed 150. Other recommendations include setting vehicle air levels to “recirculate” to avoid pumping outside air into the vehicle while driving.