8/1/23 10:38 a.m. — The Flat Fire in Oregon continues to burn, resulting in hazy conditions in inland regions of Mendocino County, specifically in Anderson Valley and along the Highway 101 corridor from Laytonville and well south into Sonoma County according to Purple Air. The Flat Fire is now over 25,000 acres and is 14% contained, meaning wildfire smoke will continue to impact our area depending on the wind and weather conditions.
Below, find more information about the Flat Fire and tips on how to protect yourself from the toxic smoke.
MENDOCINO Co., 7/17/23 – The air quality in Mendocino County declined rapidly today, Mon. July 17, due to smoke from an active wildfire in southwestern Oregon. The smoke has decreased visibility in parts of both Mendocino and Lake counties and created hazy conditions that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
According to the National Weather Service Eureka (NWS Eureka), the entire county – from Westport to Willits, Covelo to Boonville — can anticipate patchy smoke and hazy conditions through the night of Tues. July 18.
At time of publication, there are no wildfires in Mendocino County. The fire sending the smoke to Northern California is the Flat Fire, which has burned over 4,000 acres as of Sunday after starting at a campground near the community of Agness in Curry County, Oregon.
Crowdsourced air quality monitors from PurpleAir report the worst air quality currently in high elevation areas near Leggett and the low valley areas of Philo. However, decreasing air quality is reported across the county.
This is unlikely to be the last time a wildfire hundreds of miles from Mendocino County impacts our air quality. According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), wildfire smoke comprises a complex mixture of air pollutants that are unhealthy to breathe, especially for children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with heart and respiratory problems. These groups are advised to limit outdoor activities when air quality is poor. Animals can also be impacted by the smoke, so keeping pets inside is also recommended. PurpleAir monitors report unhealthy air quality levels in Laytonville, Leggett, Ukiah, Comptche and Anderson Valley as of Monday afternoon.
If you must be outside, we recommend wearing a NIOSH-certified N95 mask (or P100). These masks can be purchased at local hardware stores across the county. Note: Cloth masks and disposable medical masks– which can provide protection from respiratory diseases like COVID-19 – will not protect you from the effects of wildfire smoke.
Here are some tips from CARB on how to protect yourself, your family and pets from the dangers of wildfire smoke:
Avoid outdoor activities
- People should avoid exercising outdoors during smoky conditions. Exposure and the resulting health effects depend on the amount of time spent outside, level of exertion, level of air pollution, and possible existing health conditions.
- Consider eliminating outdoor activities altogether when the AQI reaches unhealthy levels.
- Officials may call for an evacuation in emergency situations or when the AQI reaches the hazardous level. Always follow evacuation orders. In the event of an evacuation, make sure to operate your vehicle with the windows rolled up and the air conditioner set to recirculate.
Stay indoors and keep indoor air clean
The best way to prevent breathing harmful particles in wildfire smoke is to stay indoors.
- When air quality reaches dangerous levels due to wildfire smoke, the most effective way to reduce exposure and avoid the ill effects of smoke is to stay indoors with windows and doors closed.
- If you have a central ducted air conditioning and heating system, be sure to set the system to “on” to ensure air is being filtered constantly, rather than “auto,” which runs the system intermittently.
- If your system brings fresh air into the home, close the fresh-air intake so that it operates in in recirculation mode to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.
- Install a high-efficiency filter (MERV 13 rating or higher) with a MERV rating as high as your system can handle, based on the manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Consider using a CARB-certified air cleaner which can greatly reduce indoor particle levels to further reduce impacts from smoke.
- If you cannot afford an air cleaner, you can build one. Learn how here.
- Do not run swamp coolers or whole house fans.
- Avoid activities that increase indoor pollution, such as burning candles, using gas stoves and vacuuming.
Sarah Stierch covers wildfires, breaking news, and more for The Mendocino Voice. You can follow Stierch on Twitter and learn more about her work and donate to her directly at here. Contact Stierch at [email protected]. The Voice maintains editorial control and independence.
