Mariposa County readings from the Purple Air Website as of 1:15 P.M. Wednesday
PERSONS WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY SMOKE SHOULD CONSIDER RELOCATING TO A SMOKE FREE AREA WHEN SMOKE IS PRESENT
August 19, 2020 - The Mariposa County Public Health website reminds residents you can view current air quality around Mariposa County by visiting the airnow website and scrolling in to Mariposa on the map.
You can also view the low tech sensor network of purple air sensors around the county at purpleair (website). These sensors are an indicator of air quality status but they are not as accurate as the emergency response monitors we use during a local fire. In side by side comparisons to our high tech monitors they read high, sometimes they are reporting significantly higher than actual conditions.
The circles/ triangles are monitoring sites. Their color is tied to the AQI levels below.
- 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:
- Consider staying indoors to avoid breathing the smoke particles.
- Run your air conditioner, if you have one.
- 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.
- A swamp cooler will not provide this protection, and will pull in the smoky air from outside.
- “Masks” (especially surgical masks or wet bandanas) will not protect your lungs. If the smoke is that irritating to you, the best option is to remain indoors or temporarily re-locate.
Source: Mariposa County
