Fires
Enjoying the clean air in Fresno? Here’s why it may not last long
After weeks of living in a smoky haze, people in the Fresno area likely rejoiced Friday and Saturday when they awoke to healthy air quality, sunshine and patches of blue sky.
Enjoy it, because it’s probably not going to last.
Conditions are expected to change by the middle of next week, said San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District spokeswoman Heather Heinks.
“Yes, enjoy the chance to go outside this weekend, embrace that, but still be aware that we have major fires burning all around us in the state and unhealthy conditions are just a few hours away in some cases,” she said.
The good air quality is a welcome relief following nearly a week where it sat at the “hazardous” level, the worst possible where everyone is advised to stay indoors.
How to check air quality
Local residents can check current air conditions by typing their address into the air district’s real-time advisory network online, or by checking sensors at PurpleAir.com.
The Valley has been affected by smoke since lightning first sparked numerous fires around the state in mid-August. The Creek Fire, which started Sept. 4 in the Big Creek area northeast of Fresno, has also sent smoke into the Fresno area.
The clean air this weekend came from a shift in the wind, which is sending smoke toward Nevada. The fires in Northern California, though still burning, are also not producing the intense emissions that they were a few weeks ago, Heinks said.
Smoke is still hugging the foothills and the Sierra Nevada, she said.
“It’s not good there, but it’s not pouring into the Valley basin,” she said.
Sequoia-Kings Canyon and Yosemite national parks are all closed due to the air quality.
The air quality in Fresno County is predicted Saturday to top out at level 2, where only sensitive individuals should reduce prolonged or vigorous outdoor activities.
Conditions are expected to be slightly worse for Tulare County, where the air is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, or level 3, on Saturday.
“But fires are still burning and the reprieve may not last too long,” Heinks said.
Another shift in the wind is expected next week, which could bring back unhealthy air to the Fresno area.
Pollution
The air district has issued a health caution that will remain in effect until the fires are out. The wind can shift at any time and change conditions, even if healthy air quality was predicted.
Particulate matter pollution (tiny bits of solid particles and liquid droplets called PM 2.5) can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate chronic bronchitis, and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
People with existing respiratory conditions, including COVID-19, and young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to such pollution.
Cloth and paper masks worn to protect against coronavirus do not filter out wildfire smoke.
The air district’s monitors are designed to measure tiny particles in smoke. But they may not catch large particles, such as ash.
If you smell smoke or see falling ash, the district recommends assuming the air quality is at unhealthy levels.
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