Fresno-area smoke levels from wildfires off the chart. When will it get better?
Expect thick smoky skies and unhealthy air to hang over the central San Joaquin Valley for at least several more days, the National Weather Service at Hanford reported Monday morning.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued an alert last week warning of “very unhealthy air quality” due to numerous California wildfires. That “health caution” will “remain in place until the fires are extinguished.”
Air monitors showed particulate matter in the air, PM 2.5, as off the charts Monday morning in Fresno and Merced. That’s above level 5, the worst air quality, when the Valley air district recommends everyone avoid outdoor activity.
Air officials named nine wildfires – including the SCU Lightning Complex, Hills Fire, CZU August Lightning Complex and the Lake Fire – as the likely air-pollution culprits pumping smoke into Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Kern counties.
Looking forward, NWS meteorologists on Monday said there is a chance of thunderstorms in the High Sierra into the afternoon, “otherwise, expect dry conditions with temperatures right around normal through the end of the week.”
A separate storm this weekend isn’t expected to bring the Valley rain, but might help blow some smoke out of the region.
Northern California officials have also reported unhealthy air conditions from wildfire smoke.
Protect yourself from bad air
Despite what monitor readings say, experts warned: “If you smell smoke or see falling ash in your immediate vicinity, consider air quality ‘unhealthy.’”
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District reminds people to take air quality seriously: “PM pollution can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate chronic bronchitis, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.”
Those with respiratory conditions, including COVID-19, along with young children and the elderly are likely to be the most affected by unhealthy air, officials said.
“Anyone experiencing poor air quality due to wildfire smoke should move indoors, to a filtered, air-conditioned environment with windows closed,” the air district said. “The common cloth and paper masks individuals are wearing due to COVID-19 concerns may not protect them from wildfire smoke.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Fresno-area smoke levels from wildfires off the chart. When will it get better?."
