CHICO — With the Park Fire having begun in Butte County and now burning in Tehama County, smoke inhalation and the air quality index are important to consider when doing any outdoor activity.
Jason Mandly, senior air quality planner for the Butte County Air Quality Management District, explained Tuesday that the smoke from the Park Fire has been blowing from south to north the last couple of days. Areas north of Chico such as Burney Basin, Shingletown and Mineral are “getting the brunt of the smoke,” he said.
In regards to the Chico area, Mandly shared that the smoke and poor air conditions are being seen in areas such as Deer Creek Canyon, Big Chico Creek Canyon and areas adjacent to the canyons such as the Paradise ridge and the edge of Chico.
“That south wind gets going and it blows the smoke up and away,” Mandly said. “We’ve been in that pattern for a couple of days. The weather forecast looks like it’s going to hold similar weather patterns the next few days. In general, overnight we’re seeing the smoke mixing down in the morning and clearing out in the afternoon.”
Smoke from the Park Fire is seen from Wildwood Park near Upper Bidwell Park on Sunday, July 28, 2024 in Chico, California. (Justin Couchot/Enterprise-Record)
At the valley floor, the best air quality is being seen in the late afternoons. Mandly said this is the healthiest time for any outdoor activities such as walking dogs or going for runs and walks.
BCAQMD uses a nationwide air quality index for smoke and particulates in its activity guidelines. When the AQI gets above 100, or in the orange area, people who are sensitive to smoke (such as children or anyone with asthma or respiratory conditions) should reduce their exposure outdoors or if they’re exerting themselves. If the AQI gets above 150, outdoor activities are unhealthy for everyone.
As of Tuesday, a majority of Chico is in level 2 of the air quality index, between 51-100. Guidelines for the Chico Area Recreation and Park District deems level 2 a “good day to be active outside” but that “people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution could have symptoms.”
Areas in Tehama County such as Los Molinos (139) is in level 3, which CARD guidelines describe as “OK to be active outside, especially for short activities. Watch for symptoms and take action as needed.” Red Bluff (77) remains in level two, while areas such as Vina (158), Shingletown (314) and Mill Creek (1,032) are in level four, the very unhealthy range.
While fighting fires, firefighters will sometimes start fires in non-burned areas, called back-burns, to help build containment lines. These can also bring smoke into the air and change the air quality.
“Once the fire is out, the air usually clears out pretty quickly,” Mandly said. “Right now, it’s a large footprint, so there’s a lot of smoldering going on right now.”
The air quality district recommends online resources such as the AirNow fire and smoke map at fire.airnow.gov or PurpeAiir at www2.purpleair.com for updated conditions.
Measures
Mandly said that masks are hard to talk about as a recommendation because everyone has different exposure limits to smoke. Fortunately, the district has not been detecting in Butte County the hazardous air quality seen in previous wildfires such as the Camp Fire in 2018.
“If folks are being impacted by smoke, our first recommendation before masks is to stay indoors,” Mandly said. “If you do need to use (a mask), make sure it’s well fitted. If it’s not well fitted, the mask won’t be working.”
Mandly also spoke about the air circulation in cars and air conditioning units in houses and apartments. If one is in a smoke-impacted area, and the HVAC system at home or air conditioning in the car has a button to switch the fresh air intake, it should be switched to recirculate through the air filter rather than outdoors. For those without central air conditioning in their homes, portable air cleaners are available for purchase.
As evacuation orders and evacuation warnings are lifted, the air quality district said that county public health is taking the lead. Residents, as they go by checkpoints, will be receiving packages with information about protecting themselves from smoke and other hazards when coming back to an area that has been impacted by fire.
Related Articles
Cal Fire public information officer explains plumes and columns of smoke seen in wildfires
Park Fire expands its foothold in Butte, Tehama counties
EOC: The response behind the response
Firefighters taking direct action on Park Fire in Manton
Hope Center serves as hub for Park Fire donations
“Smoke is going to be moving around,” Mandly said. “We’re going to have portions of the day that are going to have OK air quality, and there’s a chance for parts of Butte County to be impacted by smoke.
“If folks have any outdoor plans, keep an eye on the air quality conditions. There’s resources for that to help make your plans.”
+ There are no comments
Add yours