Unhealthy air conditions persist due to Camp fire smoke
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Health and air quality officials in Lake and neighboring counties have issued new warnings about hazardous air conditions due to the deadly Camp fire burning in Butte County.
The Camp fire began early Thursday, and has since resulted in nine confirmed fatalities, the destruction of 6,453 residences and 260 commercial structures, and the burning of 90,000 acres in and around the towns of Paradise and Magalia.
Lake County Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said that smoke from the Camp fire had caused conditions ranging from unhealthy to very unhealthy.
Conditions had cleared in some areas, resulting in the Lake County Quality Management District’s most recent forecast putting air quality conditions in the “unhealthy” range for most of the north county and “moderate” to “unhealthy for sensitive individuals” in the south county.
Though conditions are expected to improve, all residents should be prepared for smoke to settle into the area during the overnight hours until the fire is out, Gearhart said.
He said the overnight forecast indicates a potential for settling of smoke into the basin. In areas that become impacted by smoke “Moderate” to “Unhealthy” air quality may be experienced. Mostly clear conditions with periods of smoke impact are expected through the weekend. Slight variations in the wind direction can result in significant smoke impacts.
At the same time, the Web site PurpleAir showed conditions ranging from “warning” to “very unhealthy.”
Gearhart said conditions can change quickly from “good” to “unhealthy”, and this may be the pattern for the next few days. Localized areas may experience intermittent particulate levels in the “moderate” to “unhealthy” range. All areas of Lake County may be significantly impacted should meteorological conditions worsen.
Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Erin Gustafson advises residents to be cautious in resuming normal outdoor activities when smoke is present in your area.
“Variable weather conditions and ongoing fire activity may result in localized areas of reduced air quality, which could still pose health risks to people with underlying health conditions. Since we can’t always predict when and where “pockets” of poor air quality may occur, it is prudent to be careful until conditions stabilize,” Gustafson said.
Smokey conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages, which can be hazardous in young children, the elderly, individuals with heart conditions or chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.
Individuals with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and other lung or heart diseases should carefully adhere to their medical treatment plans and maintain at least a five-day supply of prescribed medications. They should limit outdoor activity and unnecessary physical exertion. Air conditioning that recirculates indoor air should be used, when available. Drinking plenty of water to avoid drying of the airways is recommended, unless restricted for medical reasons.
Dust masks are not protective against the most harmful pollutants caused by wildfire smoke that drifts to nearby areas. They are useful in filtering out the ash and larger particles that are encountered in burn areas. Air purifying respirators, such as N-95 filtering face pieces, may be effective in reducing harmful particulate matter, but also increase the work of breathing, can lead to physiologic stress, and are not recommended as a general protective measure.
The “moderate” to “unhealthy” air quality forecast results from fine particulates in the smoke and the possibility of increased ground level ozone. These are generated when combustion products in the smoke combine with the high temperatures, sunlight, and humidity. Other chemical reactions reduce visibility by forming secondary particulates. Unhealthy air, regional haze, and particulate from this fire can be expected throughout the County until the fire is out.