Smoke and air quality

[amc80]

I am so sick of the smoke! If there is a fire burning anywhere withing a few hundred miles we end up with all the smoke. Currently dealing with the Rim Fire smoke. Our air quality has been Unhealthy since last Friday. We are in a valley and the mountains are right there and you can't see them because the smoke is so thick. The air quality level was in the Very Unhealthy range for a while yesterday. I sound like I have a major cold because the smoke is killing my throat and voice. The county has canceled all sports practices and kids aren't allowed to go outside for recess. They think it's going to stay like this at least through Friday.

http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&cityid=121

Anyone else dealing with this fun?

 

[Sky56]

Not currently, but I have many times in the past. I live in a rural Western state, and many times this time of year, our fresh air in invaded by forest fire smoke. It;s awful to see the sky be a murky red-orange color from all the pollution.

 

[VRBeauty]

I hear you! I was visiting my folks in Gold Country this past weekend and we got smoked out every morning. It's just - oppressive. Fortunately the smoke usually dissipated by mid-afternoon, but the non-visible stuff remained and air quality remained at unhealthy levels. My mother, who has COPD, missed the worst of it because she had surgery last week and is still in the hospital breathing well-filtered air. I'm really concerned about what will happen when she's released later this week.

I know that the Reno area is getting the worst of the smoke... is it staying all day long?

 

[amc80]

I hear you! I was visiting my folks in Gold Country this past weekend and we got smoked out every morning. It's just - oppressive. Fortunately the smoke usually dissipated by mid-afternoon, but the non-visible stuff remained and air quality remained at unhealthy levels. My mother, who has COPD, missed the worst of it because she had surgery last week and is still in the hospital breathing well-filtered air. I'm really concerned about what will happen when she's released later this week.

I know that the Reno area is getting the worst of the smoke... is it staying all day long?

All day, all night. Since last Friday I've only seen the blue sky once, when it cleared for a few hours Sunday evening. We immediately opened up the house to get some fresh air, only to have to close everything up shortly after. And being inside doesn't totally help, the smoke is inside all of the buildings to some extent. Oppressive is a great word.

 

[amc80]

Here's a great picture of what we are dealing with.

 

[KaeKae]

amc, we're not close to the Rim Fire, but after last May's Spring Fire, you have all my sympathy. That fire was too close for comfort here. And the smoke! I hope you have some relief very soon.

 

[VRBeauty]

30% containment on the Rim Fire! And they expect to have the American Fire, which is also blasting you, fully contained today!

 

[House Cat]

My best friend is in the National Guard unit who is helping to fight this fire. Here is a link to some photos...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151754934113796.1073741881.127003548795&type=3

 

[amc80]

Thanks everyone! I could see blue sky this morning so that's an improvement.

Housecat, what cool pictures, thanks for sharing!
VRBeauty- yay! That darn American Fire has been going for a while...just when it seemed to be under control is when the Rim Fire started. Glad they are getting a handle on everything.
KaeKae- I didn't realize you were in my area (well, sort of). Glad you aren't getting the smoke from this one.

My voice is getting worse...I definitely sound like a chain smoker. I'm not sure why it's bothering me so much when everyone else seems to be fine. The only time I've been outside in the past week is walking to and from my car.

 

[JewelFreak]

Amc, the guardsman's photos are something else, but the one you put up is horrifying! I've never lived near fires like that & hate to imagine what it's like. My sister, in SW Colorado, sent pics last year of the big fire there, just on their horizon, scary stuff. So glad it's coming under control at least partially & hope you improve just as much!

--- Laurie

 

[KaeKae]

Any more progress today., amc80?

 

[amc80]

It looked a little better (you could see the mountains and some blue sky) but we were still in the unhealthy range for most of the day. I think it is supposed to start getting better tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

 

[KaeKae]

Crossing my fingers here for you, too

 

[Imdanny]

Wow. I'm sorry. I lived in Arizona for 4 years and have some experience with this.

 

[amc80]

Well, we spent about 24 hours in the moderate zone but are now back to unhealthy

 

[KaeKae]

I'm sorry it's getting worse instead of better.

 

[bluebirrrd]

The wind has shifted a little and now the haze and smoke of the Rim Fire is reaching us too. The ait smells smokey tonight. We had our own grass fire at the beginning of August. It was only about 100 acres but it was fast moving, scary and stopped just in front of our yard.

I read something interesting, that before we had Cal Fire summer lightning strike forest fires used to burn uncontrollably until fall rains came and doused them. Smoke in the air was a norm I guess, but there were far fewer mountain communities and less population density as well.

 

[VRBeauty]

The Rim Fire is now 60% contained!

I'm at my parents' house, where last weekend the smoke was so thick in the mornings that it almost totally obscured the house across the street (note - 1-acre lots here). This weekend the smoke is barely visible, even in the mornings, although the air is still far less than pristine.

amc80 - I hope things are starting to clear up in the Reno area as well!

bluebirrrd - you're right - I think there's wildspread agreement that modern fire supression techniques have a lot to do with the size of some of the recent mega-fires. They also burn hotter, since more fuel has accumulated, making them more damaging to the forests. Forest managers started developing prescribed and controlled burn policies at least 10 - 15 years ago (I'm in a related field and saw some of the policy development). This summer's Aspen fire, not far from the RIm fire, was largely allowed to burn. I don't think prescribed burns, which are set intentionally and controlled to mimic the smaller natural burns you mentioned, have been used much though. I know that a few years ago some prescribed burns got out our control and evolved into major fires, and I'm guessing forest managers have become skittish about using them.

 

[bluebirrrd]

Yes, VR, we've had prescribed burns in the National Forests here get out of control here too and then there's quite a bit of backlash. I haven't seen any of those in a while, but there are still burns in the National Parks nearby and those have been well controlled, if not an annoyance when trying to plan camping and hiking.

 

[amc80]

Well, after a couple of days in the moderate level (and even a short time at good!), we are back to unhealthy today. I am going out of town on business for the day tomorrow and am mostly looking forward to clean(er) air.