Smoke from forest fires endangers health of residents

Mariposa County residents, especially those living and working in or close to Yosemite National Park, have been subjected to continued smoky, unhealthy air for the last two months.

First it was the Detwiler Fire for the month of July and now the National Park Service is letting the natural lightning-caused fires burn on and on, and the smoke has lingered for a month with the Empire Fire and now the Starr King Fire.

Many of the local residents who must live and work in proximity to the smoke from these fires are now suffering the effects to their health. It seems the park service policies are putting the health of the natural environment ahead of the health of human beings. Enough is enough! The policy needs to change. These lightening fires need to be put out quickly. They could simmer on for months.

Tourists come and go, not spending much time in Yosemite, but those of us who work in support of the park and the tax system live here 24 hours a day. Air does not belong to the national park alone. It belongs to all of us human beings, too.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Smoke from forest fires endangers health of residents."