Friday, September 19, 2014
Due to the smoke from the King Fire, the following information has been provided by the Mariposa County Health Department:
Although it is far away, the King Fire is massive and its smoke is spreading from Fresno to Redding. You can expect this pattern: clear air in the morning, cleansed by cool night air, and then increasing smoke as it heats up through the day. This pattern may persist a few days.
Current smoke conditions can be found on the Mariposa County website at: www.mariposacounty.org/AQI.
• Use common sense. If it looks smoky outside, it’s probably not a good time to go for a run. And it’s probably not a good time for your children to play outdoors.
• If you have a heart or lung disease, if you are an older adult, or if you have children, talk with your doctor about whether, and when, you should leave the area.
• If you decide to remain:
o Consider staying indoors to avoid breathing the smoke particles.
o Run your air conditioner, if you have one.
o Keep the fresh air intake closed, and the filters clean, to prevent bringing additional smoke inside. Note: if you don’t have an air conditioner, staying inside with the windows closed may be dangerous in extremely hot weather. In these cases, seek alternative shelters.
o A swamp cooler will not provide this protection, and will pull in the smoky air from outside.
• Help keep particle levels inside lower. When smoke levels are high, avoid using anything that burns, even candles. Don’t vacuum. That stirs up particles already inside your home. And don’t smoke. That puts even more pollution in your lungs, and in the lungs of people around you.
• If you have asthma or other lung diseases, make sure you follow your doctor’s directions about taking your medicines and following your asthma management plan. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.
Health Effects of Smoke: Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic matter burn. The biggest health threat from smoke comes from fine particles.
If you have further questions, feel free to call the Health Department / Air Pollution District at (209) 966-2220 or toll free at 1-800-459-4466, or e-mail the Air Pollution Control District at: health@mariposacounty.org.
