AIR QUALITY HEALTH ADVISORY – SMOKE  &  OZONE - Monday through Thursday, August 17- 20, 2009

ALL PARTS of NEVADA COUNTY, PLUMAS COUNTY AND SIERRA COUNTY 

As you might remember from my last advisory, I did not anticipate the Yuba Fire to be an extended event. I still hope that will be true. However, smoke from the Yuba Fire is persistent in its permeation of populated places within at least a 60 mile radius of the Dobbins area. We have seen elevated smoke levels in Quincy, Truckee and Marysville and areas much closer to home. We expected those elevated smoke levels to continue at various times. 

Additionally, although the ozone levels over the weekend were in the moderate range, I believe there is a high probability ozone levels will increase over the next few days commensurate with the forecasted increase in temperatures.  Therefore, the Air District is issuing an advisory for elevated smoke and ozone levels to occur at various times for at least the next two days, maybe even the next four days. Extra caution should be observed during the late afternoon and early evening periods if you find yourself in a smoky environment. It is during those times of the day that we might also see high levels of ozone. Breathing high levels of smoke and ozone on a really hot day just can’t be a good thing for anybody, especially children engaged in high levels of activity. 

During periods when the smoke (fine particulate matter) is dense, air quality may fall into the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” range (concentrations between 40 and 66 micrograms per cubic meter of air and Air Quality Index values of 100 to 150) and possibly into the “Unhealthy” range (concentrations between 66 and 150 micrograms per cubic meter of air and Air Quality Index values of 151 to 200), or even higher in some areas.  If you smell smoke, or see smoke around you, consider restricting your outside activities and taking the following actions: 

- Healthy people should curtail or avoid strenuous exercise, particularly when they can smell smoke.- Children, asthmatics, pregnant women and elderly people should consider avoiding outdoor activities, particularly prolonged outdoor exertion.

- People with heart- or breathing-related illnesses should remain indoors.

- Asthmatics should follow their asthma management plan.

- Contact your doctor if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or severe fatigue.  This is important for not only people with chronic lung or heart disease, but also for individuals who have not been previously diagnosed with such illnesses. Smoke can “unmask” or produce symptoms of such diseases. 

 - Keep airways moist by drinking lots of water. Breathing through a warm, wet washcloth can also help relieve dryness.

- Stay indoors with windows and doors closed; run air-conditioner on “re-circulate” setting. Do not run swamp coolers or whole house fans. It is recommended that heat sensitive individuals use fans for cooling or they may consider leaving the area

- Disposable particulate respirators found at hardware stores can be effective at reducing exposure to smoke particles as long as they seal closely to the wearer’s face. Look for respirators that have two straps and have the words “NIOSH” and either “P100” or “N95” printed on the filter material. Warning: particulate respirators will not provide complete protection in very smoky conditions. It should also be noted that there is some controversy surrounding the use of particulate respirators because of the many variables that may hinder their proper use.

- When feasible, pets should be brought indoors when outdoor air quality is poor. Studies have linked fine particulate matter (smoke) with significant health problems, including work and school absences, respiratory related hospital admissions, aggravated asthma, acute respiratory symptoms (including severe chest pain, gasping, and aggravated coughing), chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, and premature death. 

A good internet site for fire information is www.yubanet.com or www.theunion.com. A satellite view depicting the smoke plume may be available via www.wrh.noaa.gov/sto by clicking “Satellite Imagery” on the left and choosing the “Visible, Western US, 1km Resolution” option.  Another useful site is http://gacc.nifc.gov/oncc/.  Regular updates on the status of the Yuba Fire can be heard on local radio stations KNCO (830 AM or www.knco.com ) and KVMR (89.5 FM or www.kvmr.org ).  Please do not call 911 for information.