Wildfires burning across the Central Coast are lending a bit of drama to local skies.
Smoke from several fires has resulted in orange-tinged sunrises and red sunsets, as well as a dip in air quality across San Luis Obispo County.
Local residents can expect hazy skies and higher concentrations of tiny particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, that can severely harm lungs, according to a Tuesday news release from the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District and the county Public Health Department.
Air quality conditions are particularly poor in the North County, the release said.
But it’s not only North County that is experiencing the hazy conditions.
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.
San Luis Obispo County residents shared their photos of the smoky skies:
View from Baron Canyon Ranch in San Luis Obispo on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Mimi Meiselman
Photographer Mark Nakamura took this photo of hazy skies above Terrace Hill in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Mark Nakamura
A seagull looks for food in the surf at Pismo Beach on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Air quality on the Central Coast is poor due to smoke from several fires burning in Monterey County. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
The view overlooking Pismo Beach on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Ryland Zweifel
New lights are seen on the remodeled Pismo Pier at sunset on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
View in Cambria on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Pamela Baker Pick
Air quality on the Central Coast is poor due to smoke from several fires burning in Monterey County. A surfer surfs near the pier in Pismo Beach on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
View from Paso Robles on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Michelle Minton
View in San Luis Obispo, looking northeast toward East Cuesta Ridge. Taken from Laguna Heights neighborhood off of Prefumo Canyon around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Jeremy Ghent
View from near Lake Nacimiento on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Cindy Fleenor
The view in Paso Robles the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Paul Kaselionis
Sunrise in San Luis Obispo was orange and the temperature at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport was 90 degrees Fahrenheit at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Air quality on the Central Coast is poor due to smoke from several fires burning in Monterey County. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
View of a Morro Bay sunset on evening of Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Kevin Meyer
Smoky skies obscure the view of this hills on the Cuesta Grade on Wednesday morning. Joe Tarica jtarica@thetribunenews.com
Smoky skies obscure the view of this hills on the Cuesta Grade on Wednesday morning. Joe Tarica jtarica@thetribunenews.com
View from Huasna near Arroyo Grande on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Kathy Minor
Smoke from wildfires can be seen in the sky above San Marcos Road looking toward Atascadero on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Joe Tarica jtarica@thetribunenews.com
View over grape vines in Paso Robles on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Scott Thomas Millar
View from the Paso Robles Target on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Rene Franklin
View from Meadow Park in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Kim Collins-Little
Sunrise in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, shows the sun behind PG&E high tension power lines. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
A surfer takes a ride at sunset in Pismo Beach on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Sunsets have had spectacular color but air quality on the Central Coast is poor due to smoke from several fires burning in Monterey County. David Middlecamp dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
View from Laguna Lake on morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Jean Davidson
View in downtown San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Andy King
The view from southern Arroyo Grande on morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Jay Marose
Smoke from wildfires can be seen in the sky above San Marcos Road looking toward Atascadero on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Joe Tarica jtarica@thetribunenews.com
View at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, in Paso Robles. Austin Hatcher
Do you have photos of the smoke and hazy skies? Send them to reporter Kaytlyn Leslie at kleslie@thetribunenews.com.
This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 12:03 PM.
Sarah Linn is an editor and reporter on the West Service Journalism Team, working with journalists in Sacramento, Modesto, Fresno, Merced and San Luis Obispo in California and Bellingham, Olympia and Tri-Cities in Washington, as well as Boise, Idaho. She previously served as the Local/Entertainment Editor of The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, working there for nearly two decades. A graduate of Oregon State University, she has earned multiple California journalism awards.
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