August 30, 2021 - Shasta County Air Quality Advisory

AIR QUALITY UPDATE

August 30, 2021

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:           August 30, 2021

Contact:      Shasta County Air Quality Management District, 530-225-5674

AIR QUALITY OFFICIALS URGE CAUTION DUE TO WILDFIRE SMOKE

LOS FUNCIONARIOS DE CALIDAD DEL AIRE PIDAN PRECAUCIÓN DEBIDO AL HUMO DE INCENDIOS

SHASTA COUNTY – The Shasta County Air Quality Management District is advising Shasta County residents, to remain aware of continued significant widespread smoke impacts due to the multiple wildfires burning in Northern California.  Certain areas may experience higher concentrations of smoke based on proximity to wildfires, time of day, topography, and current weather conditions.

Extreme fire weather has led to increased fire behavior in many areas of Northern California. As a result, increased quantities of smoke have entered the Sacramento Valley and surrounding foothills in Shasta County. While there may be areas where some clearing will occur, many areas of Shasta County will experience UNHEALTHY to HAZARDOUS air quality over the next several days. Areas on the western side of the Sacramento River are expected to receive significant amounts of smoke from the fires burning to the north and west of Shasta County impacting these areas in the evening and nighttime hours with some improvement during the afternoons.

To best protect yourself from wildfire smoke, residents are advised to check air quality smoke impacts in real time and in your area at https://fire.airnow.gov.  In addition, specific fire information and smoke safety tips can be found by going to the California Smoke blog’s smoke and health information.

Para protegerse mejor del humo de los incendios forestales, se recomienda a los residentes que verifiquen los impactos del humo de la calidad del aire en tiempo real y en su área en https://fire.airnow.gov.  Además, consejos de seguridad se pueden encontrar yendo a la información humo y la salud del blog de humo California.

Now is a great time to set yourself up with a clean room! What is a clean room? A clean room is a room that is set up to keep levels of smoke and other particles as low as possible during wildfire smoke events. Learn how to set up a clean room in your own home.

All members of the public, especially those with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women, and children should remain alert, and if necessary, reduce or avoid all outdoor exertion when wildfire smoke is present. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion in areas of noticeable smoke accumulation. All individuals are urged to use proper judgement when planning activities. Individuals wishing to minimize their exposure should:

• Limit exercise and outdoor activities
• Remain indoors with the windows and doors closed
• Turn on an air conditioner with a recirculation setting (such as in a vehicle)

For additional information and updates, you may visit the Shasta County Air Quality Management District Wildfire Smoke Webpage or call 530-225-5674.