Central Coast air quality with nearby fires

With several wildfires burning across California, many locally are wondering how it will affect the Central Coast.

We’ve already seen a little bit of haze in the hills, but what about air quality? The good news, the air quality hasn’t really taken a hit. KION reached out to the Monterey Bay Air Resource Center today, and they don’t think it will have as big an impact as previous fires.

Many remember the devastating and costly Thomas fire that threatened southern California early this year, and Sonoma county fires up north. While the Central Coast wasn’t in the fire’s path, It did have some affects. “The smoke went out to sea and actually did a loop back and it came in at Santa Cruz.” That was Richard Stedman from the Monterey Bay Air Resource Center, describing the affects from the Thomas fire which caused the surrounding air to slide into the moderate range.

With several fires burning in California right now, people are curious if we will once again be impacted by the smoke. Stedman says, “Gee anything can happen. We could get some back eddying and reverse in the wind direction which could bring some of the smoke to us.”

If you live up in the higher elevations, you might just see a little haze. Stedman also says even if we do see some other impacts, they will be minimal. But here is why it’s important to stay aware of the air quality. There are dangerous particles found in the air which come from the smoke. Stedman says, “It gets deep into the lungs, it’s called respirable. So that has an impact not only on lungs, but also on the cardiovascular system. So it can challenge the heart, can make breathing difficult. But it acts as an inflammatory agent too.”

If you are sensitive to air conditions and find yourself in a hazy environment, try to limit your time outdoors.