Wildfire Smoke Advisory
AQMD
(530) 621-7501
2015-07-06
Health Services & AQMD
With the official arrival of summer, El Dorado County health officials are reminding residents to take precautions should wildfire smoke impact the areas in which they live, work and recreate. According to Dave Johnston, El Dorado County Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Air Pollution Control Officer, wildfires in the County and region can produce smoke that causes health problems, particularly for children, older people and those with heart disease or respiratory issues.
Johnston advises that residents should limit outdoor activity if smoke is seen or smelled. Specific precautions include the following:
- Keep windows and doors closed as much as possible.
- Set the air conditioner in your home and car to re-circulating mode.
- Drink lots of water to keep airways moist.
- Healthy people should delay strenuous outdoor exercise until smoke has cleared.
- Children and older people should avoid outdoor activity, especially prolonged outdoor exercise.
- People with heart disease, respiratory or chronic health issues should stay indoors.
Smoke conditions can change quickly and vary greatly in El Dorado County because of the terrain, wind direction and weather. Residents can assess air quality based on visibility in their area, by using the Smoke Visibility Index as follows:
- Face away from the sun and look for targets at known distances (in miles). The visibility range is the distance at which high-contrast objects disappear.
- After estimating the visibility in miles, use the following visibility index to assess air quality and determine appropriate precautions.
Visibility
Range (miles)
|
Particulate Matter Level
(1-hour average, μg/m3)
|
Health
Category
|
Precautions
|
10+
|
0 - 38
|
Good
|
None
|
5 - 10
|
39 - 88
|
Moderate
|
Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
|
3 - 5
|
89 - 138
|
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
|
Sensitive people should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
|
1.5 - 3
|
139 - 350
|
Unhealthy
|
Sensitive people should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
|
1 - 1.5
|
351 - 526
|
Very Unhealthy
|
Sensitive people should avoid all physical activity outdoors. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
|
< 1 miles
|
Over 526
|
Hazardous
|
Sensitive people should remain indoors and keep activity levels low. Everyone else should avoid all physical activity outdoors.
|
For more information about air quality issues in El Dorado County, please visit AQMD's website at www.edcgov.us/airqualitymanagement. Updates on local fires and smoky conditions can also be found at http://californiasmokeinfo.blogspot.com/.
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