September 17, 2008
Air Quality Story Issued on Elevated Ozone and Fire Activity in California and Orgeon
EPA and NASA, in conjunction with Battelle Memorial Institute and Sonoma Technology, Inc., issued an Air Quality Story yesterday on the wildfires in the western U.S. that we have been discussing on the Smog Blog for the past week. Air Quality Stories are a combination of informative graphics and associated text that are distributed to various media outlets and other interested parties. The stories cover current air quality events ranging from wildfires to regional haze events, and include discussions on the potential health effects of the air quality event. Below are the image and text for yesterday's story on the wildfires and elevated ozone levels in California and Orgeon.
Air Quality Story: Western U.S. Wildfires September 15-17, 2008
Several large wildfires continue to burn in the western U.S. Two fires currently impacting air quality are the Tehipite and Rattle wildfires. The fine particles in smoke have a direct impact on particle pollution levels; in addition, the gases in smoke can react with sunlight to form ozone.
The Tehipite Fire in the Kings Canyon National Park in central California was started by lightning on Monday, July 14. The fire has burned 5,554 acres so far and is impacting air quality in the San Joaquin Valley, where AQI levels have ranged from Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Code Orange) to Unhealthy (Code Red) over the past few days. The Rattle Fire, located near Toketee Falls, Oregon, was started by lightning on Monday, August 18, and has burned 5,733 acres. This fire has caused Moderate (Code Yellow) AQI levels in parts of Oregon.
A high pressure system over the region for the past several days led to reduced vertical mixing and warm to hot temperatures. These conditions were conducive to both fire activity and poor air quality. Tuesday and Wednesday, an upper-level trough of low pressure building into the western U.S. will bring cooler temperatures and enhanced vertical mixing, causing air quality levels to improve. Tuesday, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Code Orange) AQI levels are expected in central California and Good (Code Green) AQI levels in Oregon. Moderate (Code Yellow) AQI levels are expected in central California and Good (Code Green) AQI levels in Oregon on Wednesday.
Health Tip: When you see or smell smoke, cut back on strenuous activities and follow your local news for additional information.
Sources:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)