Smoke from Thomas Fire visible throughout SLO County

SLO County residents woke up on Sunday morning to see a hazy, smoky orange sky thanks to the Thomas Fire burning more than 100 miles away.

The smoke is so visible here due to clear and dry weather conditions and the current wind pattern, which is pulling drift smoke this way, Cal Fire said.

Smoke is most visible in the South County, specifically in the Nipomo area, Cal Fire said.

However, smoke appeared to be visible even farther north, with people seeing smoke in Cayucos, San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.

And ash was reported in places like Arroyo Grande and Morro Bay.

Five Cities Fire said there is no local fire threat, but SLO County will see diminished air quality.

The National Weather Service said “very unhealthy air” is expected, especially in western SLO County.

According to the SLO County Air Pollution Control District, smoke from the Thomas Fire is forecasted to impact the county until Monday.

The SLO County Public Health Department said the county is experiencing “visual impacts” from the smoke, with harmful particle matter mostly contained to the upper part of the atmosphere. Though officials are distributing N95 masks in Santa Barbara County, the Public Health Department said no such action is necessary in SLO County yet.

The Thomas Fire, which has charred more than 150,000 acres, burned into Santa Barbara County on Saturday. According to the SLO County Office of Emergency Services, some residents in the southern party of the county may have received cell phone alerts sent out overnight by Santa Barbara County officials related to evacuations in Santa Barbara County, but those alerts were not meant for SLO County residents.

Due to the Thomas Fire, Amtrak has suspended its service between Oxnard and San Luis Obispo.

To protect yourself from the smoke, officials recommend that everybody:

▪  Stay indoors as much as possible and keep the windows and doors closed.

▪  Avoid activities that increase indoor pollution, such as lighting candles, smoking or vacuuming.

▪  Don’t rely on dust masks for protection. Those are designed to capture large particles, like sawdust, and won’t protect your lungs from the small particles found in wildfire smoke. N-95 masks will offer limited protection.

▪  Avoid exercising outdoors.

▪  Set your heat or air conditioner to recirculate, so it doesn’t bring in air from outside.

▪  Keep an eye on children, the elderly and those with heart or lung disease, as they are especially vulnerable to the effects of smoke.

This story was originally published December 10, 2017 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Smoke from Thomas Fire visible throughout SLO County."