Santa Ana winds are sending smoke and smoldering ashes — results of the Palisades, Hurst, Eaton, and Kenneth Fires — into the skies and off the coast into the Pacific Ocean. Now multiple air quality advisories are in place from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD).
“We issue advisories to help people understand when there's going to be air quality impacts, and what steps they can then do to protect their health,” explains Sarah Rees, deputy executive officer for planning and rules at South Coast AQMD. “We issue a wind-blown dust advisory when we're having wind events because we know that that stirs up the dust and creates air pollution. … Right now, we also have a wildfire advisory out.”
Right now, if you have to be outside, wear an N-95 mask that can help filter out fine particles, she recommends, but it’s best to stay indoors.
“Keep your windows closed, door closed. If you have air conditioning … run that because that can help filter out some of the particles. If you have a whole house fan, don't run that because that draws in more bad air. And in general, just take steps to keep the air clean.”
What is the biggest misconception about wildfire smoke? “Sometimes people think because they can't smell the smoke, if they're in an area that's a little further away, that perhaps they're not experiencing air pollution. But the pollution associated with wildfires can travel pretty far, and we do see impacts even in areas where you're not necessarily smelling smoke.”