Hey there, Californians! Just a heads up from officials – they are asking folks in certain cities to hold off on lighting up those scented candles for now. Yep, apparently burning candles indoors could make the air quality even worse, especially since the Post Fire is causing a ruckus down in Southern California.
So, here’s the scoop – the Post Fire, which is California’s first big fire of the year, kicked off on a Saturday afternoon. It’s been serious enough to force around 1,200 folks to evacuate the area. As of Monday afternoon, the fire had already chewed through more than 15,000 acres of land and was only 8 percent contained.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District put out a notice for cities like Lake Castaic, Newhall, Santa Clarita, and a few others, until 5 p.m. on Monday evening. This alert came about because there were higher levels of fine particulate matter swirling around.
The air quality alert basically said if you catch a whiff of smoke or see ash from the wildfire, stay indoors with windows shut tight. Oh, and try not to get too physical – take it easy. Running your air conditioner or an air purifier might help. And hey, no cozy fires or candlelit dinners tonight. It’s all about keeping that indoor air clean.
The experts warn that breathing in all that pollution could lead to some nasty health issues like lung problems, asthma flare-ups, and bronchitis. Ouch! Especially risky are folks with respiratory or heart issues, the elderly, and kiddos. They should steer clear of the smoky air as much as possible.
And get this, the air quality can change on the hour depending on the fires and weather. Right now, California’s air quality is sitting in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” zone, according to AirNow.
Remember, folks in other states are also feeling the heat – literally – with poor air quality due to the summer heat. So hey, let’s all do our part and lay off the gas-powered stuff until the air clears up. Sound good?