How to check air quality when wildfires spark

The Cienega Fire burning south of Hollister is the latest wildfire to break out on the Central Coast.

For several days, the smoke could be spotted many miles away.

The Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District tracks real time air quality, with the information available on their website: http://mbuapcd.org/air-quality/.

According to the agency, the very young, very old, and people with heart and lung disease are most vulnerable to smoke.

When smoke levels are high, the agency says avoid using wood fireplaces, gas logs, gas stoves, and candles. They also say don’t vacuum because that stirs up particles.

For more information on wildfire smoke, click here.