A wildfire smoke advisory from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District has been issued through the week until Sunday, Oct. 15.
“Smoke transported from wildfires in the Northern Bay Area is degrading air quality in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties,” said the district in a press release. “Smoke may reach unhealthful levels in our region.”
Conditions moved into the “unhealthy” category Wednesday evening. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects, according to the Air Quality Index Guide.
The press release also stated residents should avoid adding more pollution to the air by limiting activities such as wood burning, driving, lawn mowing, and leaf blowing.
The district also asks residents to take the following precautions:
- People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children, should consider staying indoors to avoid breathing smoke particles. Check with health care providers to make sure it’s not necessary to leave the area.
- Reduce other sources of indoor and outdoor air pollution by avoiding anything that burns and stirs up particles, such as wood fireplaces, gas logs, gas stoves, vacuums, cigarette smoke, and even candles.
For more information about the health effects of wildfire smoke, visit, https://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=smoke.index
For air quality updates visit, http://mbard.org/air-quality/