Air alerts persist for fire in Tracy
Health cautions remained in place Wednesday because of a large biomass fire in Tracy that is sending smoke beyond San Joaquin County into Stanislaus and Merced counties.
Piles of wood are burning at the Tracy Storage Facility for Agra Marketing of Chico, the Tracy Press reported. The fire began Monday.
The fire is being managed by state and local fire officials. The cautions from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will remain in effect until the fire is extinguished.
Smoke from fires produces fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which can cause serious health problems including lung disease, asthma attacks, and increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, according to the air district.
Where conditions warrant, people with heart or lung disease should follow their doctors’ advice for dealing with particulate exposure. Older adults and children should avoid prolonged exposure or heavy exertion, depending on local conditions.
People with respiratory conditions, young children and elderly people are especially susceptible to health effects from these pollutants. Air district officials urge residents to follow doctors’ orders when exposed to fire emissions.
Air officials have said that when people see or smell smoke, it is likely that it is causing damage to the lungs. The best thing to do, according to officials, is to stay inside with filtered air.
Several schools in the region follow the Real-Time Air Advisory Network, or RAAN, that the air district has online at www.valleyair.org/raan. When air is considered unhealthy, students are kept indoors during recess.
A yellow flag, for example, means moderate air quality. When the smoke makes the air quality unhealthy, a red flag is hung and children are kept indoors.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the RAAN reading for the Merced area was at “moderate” standing.
For more information, visit www.valleyair.org or call the air district office at (209) 557-6400.
This story was originally published May 20, 2015 at 11:15 PM with the headline "Air alerts persist for fire in Tracy."