LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – New wildland fires burning in the region, as well as those continuing to burn in far Northern California, Southern Oregon and across the West, sent thick smoke into Lake County’s air basin on Thursday.
The smoke and haze became so thick on Thursday that by early afternoon the Mount Konocti lookout tower had gone out of service for the day due to lack of visibility, and there were concerns that an air ambulance would be unable to respond to a Clearlake-area crash, based on radio reports.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an update that said the smoke and haze visible throughout Lake County on Thursday is primarily the result of transport smoke from the Helena fire in Trinity County.
The Helena fire began Wednesday in the Trinity County. As of Thursday, it had burned 5,000 acres and was at zero containment. The cause is under investigation.
NASA satellite imagery also showed smoke coming into California from across the northwestern states – including Montana and Idaho.
There also is smoke clogging the Sacramento Valley, likely to be caused not just the Helena fire but the Ponderosa fire near Oroville, which Cal Fire said began Tuesday. So far that incident has burned just over 3,500 acres, destroyed 10 homes and 20 outbuildings, and is threatening 1,300 more structures.
Lake County Air Quality Management District also issued an update on Thursday, reporting that the smoke intrusions had caused the county’s air quality to move into the “moderate to unhealthy” range.
The district’s report attributed the smoke and haze currently visible throughout Lake County as primarily the result of transport smoke from numerous fires in Northern California and Southern Oregon including the Chetco Bar fire, which so far has burned 128,700 acres in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Thursday’s degraded air quality is the result of ultra fine particulates and other air pollutants contained in the smoke combined with the high temperatures and humidity, according to Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart.
Gearhart said the district is actively monitoring the transport smoke impacts, adding that areas of the county may experience short duration significant smoke impacts in the unhealthy range.
He said the air quality forecast for the rest of Thursday is in the moderate to unhealthy range due to the higher levels of fine particulates from the northern fires and the possibility of increased ground-level ozone.
Ozone is generated when combustion products in the smoke combined with the high temperatures, sunlight and humidity, Gearhart said.
County residents – especially those with health conditions – are urged to limit outdoor activities, and are reminded that dust masks are not protective against fine particulate, which is the pollutant most detrimental to health caused by wildfire smoke.
Based on the moderate to unhealthy air quality forecast, Gearhart said people are recommended to use caution and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
He said the potential for localized areas of unhealthy air, regional haze, and particulate from these fires are expected to continue throughout Lake County through the Labor Day weekend – which is forecast to be particularly hot – and until the weather pattern changes.
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Western wildland fires push more smoke into Lake County air basin
- Elizabeth Larson
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