CA Fire: Continue to Burn, Air Quality Critical

In mid-August California experienced more than 15,000 lightning strikes from a pair of tropical storms that crossed northern California. This unusual amount of lightning combined with high temperatures, strong winds, forests that had been decimated by beetle infestations, the extended drought and had not been thinned for years and years resulted in an unprecedented series of wildfires that included the August Complex Fire which is the largest fire in the state’s recorded history.

As reported by Cal Fire on September 13th, since the beginning of 2020, wildfires have burned over 3.3 million acres in California. The acres burned is 26 times bigger than the acres burned in 2019 for the same period, and the total acres burned is larger than the State of Connecticut. There have been 20 fatalities and over 4,100 structures destroyed. The August Complex Fire increased significantly in acreage due to the merging of the Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow, and Vinegar fires and was 24% contained on Sunday. Cal Fire has issued a Fire Weather Watch in effect Monday over the Northern Sierra because of gusty winds that potentially impact the North Complex that is only 26% contained.

Nonetheless, weather conditions have improved somewhat and the firefighters gained ground on the many of the wildfires that began three weeks ago in mid-August.” Friday there we more than 16,750 firefighters on the line of the 29 major wildfires burning across California. Although 33 new fires were sparked on Thursday, crews contained most of them quickly. It seems that Cal Fire will finally be able to contain the fires. “

Generally, the U.S. has good air quality. The hot spot in Virginia is Bull Run Mountain whose air monitor gauge has failed. 

Air quality in California for much of the state is “Unhealthy to Hazardous” due to all the smoke and particulates in the air. For a couple of days there California had recorded the worst air quality of any place on earth. Now that title is moving to Oregon.

Poor air quality can hurt the very young, the elderly and the sick. When particulate pollution is high it is best to stay indoors. On hot summer days even in areas without wildfires, air quality can be impacted. Long term exposure to particulate pollution can cause premature death in people with pre-existing cardiac or respiratory disease.

Air pollution in the form of fine particles with diameters smaller than 2.5 microns, called PM 2.5, lodge in the lungs which can aggravate other conditions both immediately and long term. This fine particulate matter can have immediate health impacts: itchy, watery eyes, increased respiratory symptoms such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing and aggravated asthma. Long term health effects can result from both short-term and long-term exposure to particulate pollution.

Air quality is typically measured with the Air Quality Index, or AQI. The AQI generally runs from 0 to 500 but in extreme hazard the scale can go up to 999. AQI tracks five major air pollutants: ground level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and airborne particles, or aerosols. However , airborne particles and aerosols seem to drive the score.

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, requires states to monitor air quality and ensure that it meets minimum air quality standards. The US EPA has established both annual and 24-hour PM2.5 air quality standards (as well as standards for other pollutants). The annual standard is now 12 ug/m3 (an AQI of 39). The 24-hr standard is 35 ug/m3 (an AQI of 99.

Below is a look at California this past weekend. If you want to take a look at real time particulate pollution levels you can see what the monitors nearest your home are reporting. Recall that the levels are reported in AQI (0-50 AQI is good air quality and 51-99 is moderate air quality).