Heavy smoke in Lake County’s air basin coming from Butte County fire
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The smoke that has poured into Lake County’s air basin, giving the sky an alarming sepia tone, is from a fire in Butte County, the Lake County Air Quality Management District reported Thursday morning.
Air Pollution Control Officer Douglas Gearhart said the smoke and haze currently impacting many areas of Lake County is primarily the result of the Camp fire in Butte County.
Cal Fire said the Camp fire began just after 6:30 a.m. Thursday on Pulga Road at Camp Creek Road near Jarbo Gap in Butte County. It was reported to have burned 5,000 acres by late Thursday morning and had led to the calls for evacuations in the area.
Mendocino County officials also issued an alert to residents about the smoke, which has continued to move west.
Gearhart said all areas of Lake County are forecast to have periods of “unhealthy” conditions depending on the wind. These conditions are expected to impact Lake County through tomorrow and intermittently until the fires are out.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District is actively monitoring the smoke impacts throughout the county, Gearhart said. Go to www.lcaqmd.net and follow the link to ‘Current Air Quality Index’ for current particulate levels.
Current particulate levels in Lake County are in the range from “good” to “unhealthy.” Gearhart said similar conditions are expected to continue depending on the weather pattern. When particulate levels reach “unhealthy” levels, everyone needs to take steps to protect themselves from exposure.
All areas of Lake County may experience “unhealthy” air quality as smoke settles into the basin, Gearhart said.
Conditions can change quickly. Smokey conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages. These conditions can be especially hazardous for sensitive individuals including children, teenagers, the elderly, individuals with heart conditions, and those with 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, according to Gearhart’s report.
Gearhart said such individuals should limit outdoor activity and unnecessary physical exertion while smoke is present. 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.
When conditions reach unhealthy levels, people are recommended to use caution, avoid strenuous activity, avoid outdoor activities, and reduce other sources of air pollution (such as smoking, use of aerosol products, frying or broiling meats, burning candles, vacuuming, etc.) and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
If you cannot leave the smoky area, good ways to protect your lungs from wildfire smoke include staying indoors, changing your indoor air filters, using a HEPA air filter, and reducing physical activity, according to Gearhart.
Gearhart said that wearing an air purifying respirator can also help protect your lungs from wildfire smoke. Air purifying respirators, such as N-95 or P100 filtering face pieces, may be effective in reducing some of the harmful particulate matter, but they also increase the work of breathing, can lead to physiologic stress, and are not recommended as a general protective measure.
Dust masks and medical masks are not protective against the ultra fine particulate, which is the pollutant most detrimental to health caused by wildfire smoke, Gearhart said.
Localized areas in the unhealthy air quality range can be expected into Friday, and intermittently until the fire is out. Gearhart advised taking appropriate measures until the smoke clears.