Air quality alert issued as smoke chokes San Luis Obispo County skies. Where is it from?
Update, 2:30 p.m.
Recent fires in and around San Luis Obispo County have caused poor air quality and lingering smoke throughout the Central Coast.
“For our area, this is about as bad as I’ve ever seen it over such a wide expanse of geography,” PG&E meteorologist John Linsdsey said referring to the poor air quality.
Lindsey said a little relief may come Thursday afternoon if fire conditions remain the same because a strong northwesterly wind is expected to blow threw the area.
According to Lindsey, models predict the wind will partially clear out the smoke Thursday night into Friday, but the smokey air ultimately comes down to the fires.
“The models can’t predict how the fires will act,” Lindsey said.
If another fire sparks in the record-breaking heat, smoke will remain in the county for longer than the models currently predict.
Lindsey said subtropical weather is expected to move into San Luis Obispo County on Sunday, potentially bringing showers.
Although the showers would help combat the smoky air, the subtropical conditions could lead to more lightning and thunderstorms.
Original story:
Wildfires in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties have led to smoky skies across much of the Central Coast, prompting an air quality alert.
The smoke-filled skies cover much of San Luis Obispo County, with worse air quality concentrated in the North County, according to a Tuesday news release from the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District and the county Public Health Department.
Wildfires lead to higher concentrations of tiny particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, that can severely harm lungs.
The agencies issued the air quality alert Tuesday afternoon, and it remained in affect Wednesday morning.
According to the APCD, air quality in the Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Miguel, Creston and surrounding areas is unhealthy air quality for everyone.
In Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach and other areas in the South County, the air quality will be unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the APCD’s forecast.
Nipomo’s air quality is moderate, according to the APCD.
The APCD and Public Health Department are working together to “assess the air quality in order to identity any potential health impacts,” according to Tuesday’s release.
The APCD said that people should expect smoky conditions until the fires are extinguished.
Three fires sparked by lightning in San Luis Obispo County over the weekend — two near Cayucos and one in Nipomo — were 100% contained as of Tuesday.
The River Fire east of Salinas in Monterey County, which began Sunday, has burned more than 10,600 acres and was 7% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire.
The Carmel Fire, just south of Carmel, broke out Tuesday and was 0% contained as of Wednesday morning. That fire has burned 1,200 acres.
Meanwhile, the Dolan Fire near Big Sur has reached up to 2,500 acres, according the Los Padres National Forest.
As of Wednesday morning, Highway 1 was closed from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Monterey County due to the fire, according to Caltrans.
How to stay safe in unhealthy air quality
Children, older adults and people with existing respiratory illness and heart conditions are particularly vulnerable to poor air quality.
However, if anyone smells smoke or sees ash falling from the sky, the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District advises taking the following precautions:
- Head indoors and remain indoors, if possible;
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activity;
- Close all windows and doors that lead outside to prevent bringing additional smoke inside; and
- Stop any outdoor activity immediately and seek medical attention if experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, exhaustion, light-headedness or chest pain.
Although the use of masks is encouraged to protect from COVID-19, a cloth mask will not protect from inhaling wildfire smoke, the ACPD said.
The agency said in a news release said that liquid droplets produced when people speak or cough are larger than the particulate matter produced by wildfires.
This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 9:45 AM.
