California Fires Cause Unhealthy Air Conditions

There are now over 1,100 wild fires in Northern California. And it could still get worse over the weekend as dry lightning is again threatening the region.

If you need to go somewhere, you should first check out this map to see if the area is accessible. Temporary road closures are not uncommon these days. It only shows about thirty or so of the major fires, but it is constantly updated.

If you don’t need to be somewhere this weekend, experts advise to try and stay indoors as much as possible as another health threat is now becoming more serious: poor or even unhealthy air quality. There is so much smoke coming from all these fires, that Northern California is under a constant cloud of smoke. Depending on wind conditions and proximity to fires, air quality can be moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups (e.g., asthma sufferers), or very unhealthy for everyone.

If you need to go outside, you should definitely check the air quality for your region and prepare accordingly. Experts advise to set your car fan or air conditioning to ‘reuse’ or ‘recycle’ and to not open the windows. Refrain from exercising or other strenuous activities outdoors. If you need to be outside, you should consider wearing a mask or to otherwise cover your nose and mouth (and also your eyes) as the smoke particles that are in the air are damaging to your lungs and body.

But the best solution is to stay indoors. As in your car, Experts say to only use recycled air when running your air conditioning system and to keep your windows closed if possible. You can find more information and health tips here.