Wednesday, August 18, 2021 - North Coast AQMD Air Quality Smoke Advisory

AIR QUALITY SMOKE ADVISORY 

A joint message from the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District (NCUAQMD) and partners

Press release issued: August 18, 2021 

Advisory updated as conditions change

The Monument Fire, McFarland Fire, River Complex, and Antelope Fire continue to produce heavy smoke impacts.  The USFS Air Resource Advisor on the Monument and McFarland fires indicate areas around the fires may see some smoke impacts in the morning, but by midday, the northeast winds should pick up keeping the smoke mostly aloft during the day. Smoke is likely to settle this evening and overnight in many areas and may reach sites southern Trinity and Humboldt County. More active fire growth is expected today with a Red Flag Warning in effect for the area until tonight.

Air quality monitors and the current Air Quality Index (AQI) for communities should be viewed at https://fire.airnow.gov.   USFS Air Resource Advisors (ARA) assigned to the Monument/McFarland and River Complex fires provides daily ARA Smoke Outlook Forecasts at https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks.

ALERT – Hazardous Conditions       (AQI 301 and higher, 24 hr avg):

• None

ADVISORY – Unhealthy      to Very Unhealthy        Conditions (AQI 151-300 range, 24 hr avg):

• Weaverville/Lewiston – Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy
• Junction City – Very Unhealth to even Hazardous conditions depending on the winds
• Trinity Center/Coffee Creek – Unhealthy, may see increasing evening and overnight smoke
• Douglas City – Improvement expected today out of Hazardous and more into Unhealthy range
• Hayfork – Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy with periods of Hazardous conditions
• Platina area – Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy with periods of Hazardous conditions

Regional Smoke Outlooks – Good, Moderate, to USG Conditions (AQI 0-150 range, 24 hr avg):

Humboldt County: 

• Eureka (including Scotia to Trinidad) – Good conditions, any smoke should remain aloft
• Orleans – Good to Moderate, smoke increasing overnight
• Weitchpec – Good to Moderate, smoke increasing overnight
• Hoopa – Mostly Good to Moderate, possible smoke in evening, Unhealthy possible overnight.
• Willow Creek – Mostly Good to Moderate, possible smoke in evening, Unhealthy possible overnight
• Garberville, Redway – Mostly Moderate to USG with worsened periods of smoke possible

Del Norte County:

• Crescent City – Good conditions, some smoke impacts possible by tomorrow
• Gasquet – Good conditions, some smoke impacts possible by tomorrow
• Klamath – Good conditions

Trinity County: (see above Advisory and Alerts)

• Burnt Ranch – Mostly Good to Moderate, smoke impacts overnight from shift in winds

U.S. EPA  AIR QUALITY INDEX  (https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/)
Action	Level of Concern	AQI Value	Actions to Protect Yourself
	Good	0 - 50	None, air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk
	Moderate	51 - 100	Sensitive individuals should limit prolonged or heavy exertion
	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG)	101 - 150	People within USG should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion
Advisory	Unhealthy (UH)	151 - 200	People within USG should avoid all prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion
	Very Unhealthy (VUH)	201 - 300	Everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion
Alert	Hazardous (HAZ)	> 301	Everyone should avoid any outdoor activity

The Monument Fire, McFarland Fire, River Complex, and Antelope Fire will be active again today.  The USFS Air Resource Advisor on the Monument/McFarland fire indicated the north wind picked up yesterday afternoon bringing improved air quality to most of the area.  By midday today the northeast winds will pick up again, keeping the smoke aloft during the day. Smoke is likely to settle this evening and overnight in many areas and may reach sites in southern Trinity and Humboldt County.  

If you are in areas that continue to be Unhealthy to Hazardous air quality, it is really important to take health and safety precautions.  Take actions to limit outdoor activity and smoke exposure.  Learn how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. Visit the Wildfire Smoke Resources section of our webpage at www.ncuaqmd.org.

In Trinity County, High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters have been placed at the following locations: 

Trinity County Library, 351 Main St., Weaverville

Hours: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 1:00pm - 6:00pm; Tuesday/Thursday 10:00am - 6:00 pm

Trinity County Health and Human Services Murray Building (Next to Sheriff Substation),6641 Hwy 3, Hayfork

Hours: Tuesday/Friday 9:00am-4:00pm

Particulate Matter (PM2.5) monitors are located in Crescent City, Weitchpec, Hoopa, Willow Creek, Weaverville, Hayfork, Eureka, and Garberville. Air quality monitors and the current Air Quality Index (AQI) for communities should be viewed at https://fire.airnow.gov

Fire information can be found at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ or https://fire.airnow.gov/.   Current weather information can be found at www.wrh.noaa.gov.  As with all wildfires, ash fallout is possible depending on fire activity and proximity to the fires.  Ash fallout information can be found in the Wildfire Smoke Resources section of our webpage at www.ncuaqmd.org.

Health Information & Actions To Protect Yourself From Smoke Impacts

Concentrations of smoke may vary depending upon location, weather, and distance from the fire. Smoke from wildfires and structure fires contain harmful chemicals that can affect your health. Smoke can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and difficulty breathing.  People who are at greatest risk of experiencing symptoms due to smoke include: those with respiratory disease (such as asthma), those with heart disease, young children, and older adults. 

These sensitive populations should stay indoors and avoid prolonged activity. All others should limit prolonged or heavy activity and time spent outdoors. Even healthy adults can be affected by smoke. Seek medical help if you have symptoms that worsen or become severe. 

Follow these general precautions to protect your health during a smoke event: 

Minimize or stop outdoor activities, especially exercise.

Stay indoors with windows and doors closed as much as possible.

Do not run fans that bring smoky outdoor air inside – examples include swamp coolers, whole-house fans, and fresh air ventilation systems.

Run your air-conditioner only if it does not bring smoke in from the outdoors. Change the standard air conditioner filter to a medium or high efficiency filter. If available, use the “re-circulate” or “recycle” setting on the unit.

Do not smoke, fry food, or do other things that will create indoor air pollution.

Consider leaving the area until smoke conditions improve if you have repeated coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea, unusual fatigue, lightheadedness.

For further information, visit the District’s website at www.ncuaqmd.org or call the District’s Wildfire Response Coordinator at (707) 443-3093 x122.