Carson City regional air quality skirts between 'very unhealthy' and 'hazardous'
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 08/28/2013 - 10:58am
A Dense Smoke Advisory issued by the National Weather Service continues Wednesday for Carson City and Carson Valley.
Using data provided by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Carson City and Douglas County officials continue to monitor the rapid decline in air quality. On Wednesday Douglas County sent a news release stating that overnight pollution levels moved into the "hazardous" classification.
For air quality in Gardnerville and Carson City, go here and outdoor air quality in Washoe County, go here.
The Rim Fire near Yosemite continues to actively burn, producing a large smoke plume. A south to southwest flow is expected that will keep a similar smoke trajectory in place, according to the weather service. This will continue to bring reductions to visibility and poor air quality to the region.
For the latest on the current and forecast air quality please check with Air Now or your local county. At this time the flow is expected to shift by this weekend, which will displace the smoke plume further south across Mono, southern Lyon and Mineral counties.
The hazardous classification indicates that everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors; people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors with windows closed and the air conditioning on and keep activity levels low. The last few days has seen air quality in the unhealthy to very unhealthy levels, so this is a change.
Environmental health officials have stated the air quality for Carson City has at times moved into the "Hazardous" area but then moved out.
Smoke is highly dependent upon the wind direction and fire activity which can change rapidly. Expect smoke to become more concentrated in lower elevations during the evenings and early mornings with partial clearing in the afternoons as atmospheric mixing or favorable winds lifts the smoke out of the breathing zone, according to the Douglas County news release.
While everybody may experience varying degrees of symptoms, persons in the sensitive groups category include children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory and heart conditions are of greatest risk at experiencing more aggravated symptoms and serious complications.
Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, stinging eyes or a runny nose.
If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse. People with heart disease might experience chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, or fatigue. People with lung disease may not be able to breathe as deeply or as vigorously as usual, and they may experience symptoms such as coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing and shortness of breath.
In general, if you smell smoke and feel it’s affecting you, then take precautions such as: staying indoors with the windows and doors closed and the air conditioner on; limiting outdoor exertion and physical activity; and, drinking plenty of fluids. Persons experiencing questionable or severe symptoms should contact their health care professional or call 911 if in need of immediate medical assistance.
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