Wildfire smoke in Southern California has prompted officials to issue an air quality alert for roughly 320,000 people until 6 p.m. local time on Monday.
A spokesperson with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) told Newsweek the advisory could be extended, and if so, an extension would be issued by Monday afternoon.
Why It Matters
The smoke is coming from two wildfires, the Wolf fire in Banning Pass and the Mindy fire in the Anza area, the AQMD advisory said. Both fires ignited on Sunday afternoon.
As of the most recent update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Wolf fire in Riverside County is at 1,400 acres and 0 percent contained. The Mindy Fire, also in Riverside County, is at 100 acres and 70 percent contained.
What to Know
The air quality alert is impacting the cities of Idyllwild, Pine Cove, Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Palm Desert Country, La Quinta, and Coachella. The most recent U.S. Census data estimates that around 320,000 people live in the impacted areas.
Wildfire smoke can cause harmful fine particle pollution levels that affect everyone, the alert said. People are encouraged to take several actions to protect their health against the impacts of smoke: remain indoors with windows and doors closed; avoid intense outdoor physical activity; run the air conditioner and/or an air purifier; wear an N-95 mask if you must spend time outdoors; do not use whole house fans or swamp coolers; avoid other sources of pollution like fireplaces, candles, incense, grilling, and gas-powered equipment.
“Particles in wildfire smoke can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing,” the alert said. “Everyone can be affected, but people with lung or heart disease, older adults, people who are pregnant, children, and those who spend a lot of time outdoors are at greater risk.”
The air quality alert will remain in place until 6 p.m. local time Monday evening.
An extreme heat warning also remains in place for part of Southern California on Monday.
Northern California also faces a wildfire threat, with a red flag warning in place.
“Lightning from dry thunderstorms can create new fire starts and combined with gusty winds may cause a fire to rapidly grow in Oregon and northern California,” a forecast from the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
What People Are Saying
South Coast AQMD in an air quality alert: “Based on webcam and satellite imagery, winds are transporting the smoke from the Wolf and Mindy wildfires to the north into the Banning Pass and San Bernardino mountains, and into the San Jacinto wilderness and Hemet.”
CAL FIRE in an update about the Wolf Fire: “Firefighters made good progress over night. Multiple aircraft along with hundreds of firefighters on the ground, will continue to establish containment lines. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place.”
What Happens Next
The cause of each fire remains under investigation. Evacuation warnings and orders have been lifted for the Mindy fire but remain in place for the Wolf fire.
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