Air Quality Goes Up in Smoke

Smoke from wildfires has made the air unhealthy in most of the Southland, Los Angeles County public health officials said.

South Coast Air Quality Management District: Air Quality Map

Dr. Jonathan Fielding, the director of the county's Public Health Department, cautioned residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in areas where they can see or smell smoke. Sensitive individuals -- those with respiratory or heart disease -- should stay indoors even if they can't see or smell smoke, he said.

"It is difficult to tell where ash or soot from a wildfire will go, or how winds will affect the level of dust particles in the air, so we ask everyone to be aware of their immediate environment and how it might affect their health," Fielding said.

Officials advised schools that are in session in smoke-impacted areas to keep students indoors for physical education and after-school sports until the smoke clears.

All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District will be on a regular schedule Monday, but all outdoor activities will be canceled, said district spokeswoman Gayle Pollard-Terry.

To cope with the smoky conditions, public health officials recommended that residents: 

Do not smoke

Do not use fireplaces, candles or vacuums

Use air conditioners that re-circulate air within the home

Check the filters on their air conditioners and replace them as needed

Head to an air-conditioned public place, like a mall, if it does not have a re-circulating air conditioner and it is too hot to remain inside with the doors and windows closed

Smoke and ash also pose a health risk to residents taking part in the clean-up after a fire, Fielding said.

Although the ash from wildfires is "relatively non-toxic," like that found in a fireplace, exposure to it can still trigger an asthmatic attack in an individual who already has asthma, he said.

In areas blanketed with ash, public health officials advise residents: 

Do not allow children to play in ash, and to wash their toys

Bathe pets to get ash out of their fur

Do not to use leafblowers that will blow ash into the air

Avoid washing ash into storm drains

Throw out plastic bottles of drinking liquids, such as water, covered in ash. Food and liquids stored in previously unopened glass or metal cans should be safe still, but need to be cleaned before they are opened.