American Fire Air Quality Summary Report - August 21

American Wildfire Air Quality Summary Report

Prepared by Andrea Holland USDA Forest Service

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Yesterday’s weather favored sufficient air flow dispersing lingering smoke and providing relief to many communities around the American Fire.  The exception was that Truckee’s air quality moved from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups as smoke from the American and Rim fires drifted into the Tahoe basin.  Foresthill and Auburn saw greatest relief.  Auburn’s air quality moved from unhealthy for sensitive groups (USG) to good; Foresthill moved from hazardous to USG.  Daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from yesterday, August 20 are shown below with the corresponding level of health concern and actions to protect yourself.

Site	24-hr Average PM2.5 (µg/m3)	3-hour AvgMax PM2.5 (µg/m3)	Level of Health Concern	Meaning	Actions to Protect Yourself
Roseville Auburn	17 20	28 30	Good	Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk	None
Lincoln Quincy Loyalton Grass Valley Portola Colfax	17 30 26 30 29 39	39 42 53 61 62 85	Moderate	Air quality is acceptable for most. There may be a moderate health concern for a very small very sensitive people.	Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
Truckee Foresthill	40 72	96 223	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects.  The general public is not likely to be affected.	People with heart or lung disease, children and adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.  Everyone one else, should limit prolonged or heavy exertion
			Unhealthy	Everyone may begin to experience more serious health effects.	The following groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity: People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
			Very Unhealthy	Triggers a health alert, meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects	Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors.
			Hazardous	The entire population is even more likely to be affected by serious health effects	The following groups should remain indoors and keep activity levels low: People with heart or lung disease; children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.

Air Quality Forecast:   Unstable winds are expected to continue through today dispersing smoke in the area.  High level smoke will likely to move towards the northwest.  Communities in the area around the American fire (i.e. the general areas around Sacramento, Auburn, Portola, Truckee, Foresthill, Grass Valley and Reno) will likely see light to moderate smoke impacts through today depending on wind direction and the activity of the several fires burning in northwest California.  Modeling indicates smoke settling tonight along the foothill communities northeast of Sacramento as well as into the Lake Tahoe basin and Reno areas. 

For more information visit www.northcasmoke.blogspot.com

For daily updates on air quality conditions in Placer County visit www.placer.ca.gov/apcd