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More smoke impacts forecast for Lake County air basin
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As major wildland fires continue to burn across Northern California, the Lake County Air Quality Management District said more smoke and haze are expected in the air basin this week.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said fires including the Dixie, McFarland and Monument are creating the regional smoke impacts throughout Lake County and California.
The new Caldor fire in El Dorado County also will contribute to smoke impact in Lake County over the next several days, Gearhart said.
Gearhart said all of Lake County has experienced intermittent air quality impacts from moderate to hazardous over the past few weeks.
He said the air quality forecast through Friday will range from “moderate,” or 51 to 100 on the Air Quality Index, to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (AQI of 101 to 150) with a heightened potential for “unhealthy for all” (AQI of 151 to 200) conditions as the anticipated north winds may bring smoke from the Northern California fires into Lake County.
This forecast is based on the latest weather, monitoring and fire activity information, Gearhart said.
The National Weather Service, which also has included information about hazy conditions on Wednesday in its forecast, has issued a red flag warning for Lake County until 8 p.m. Wednesday due to high winds in the forecast, with those winds also prompting Pacific Gas and Electric to conduct a public safety power shutoff impacting parts of Lake County.
Gearhart said the district continues to actively monitor the smoke impacts throughout the County.
Information also is available at the Lake County Air Quality Management District website; follow the quick links for air monitoring for current smoke and air quality conditions.
Current particulate levels in Lake County range from “good” to “moderate.” Gearhart said those values were forecast to degrade overnight to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse as smoke is pushed into the county.
Gearhart said concentrations of smoke may vary depending upon location, weather and elevation.
Smoke from wildfires and structure fires contain harmful chemicals that can affect your health. Smoke and high winds can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and difficulty breathing. People who are at greatest risk of experiencing symptoms due to smoke include those with respiratory disease (such as asthma), those with heart disease, young children and older adults.