Green Fire smoke pushes air quality to hazardous levels over parts of Shasta County
Some of the worse pollution hit Bella Vista and other east Highway 299 communities on Monday afternoon. Green Fire smoke also reduced air quality to "very unhealthy" levels in Redding, Shasta Lake, Anderson, Cottonwood and Platina.
The Shasta County Air Quality Management District issued and advisories on Monday regarding the dangers of smoke and pollution impacts, especially on people with health issues. However, pollution levels are high enough to cause problems for healthy people, according to the county.
This week, different communities may feel the impacts of smoke worse than others as wind blows smoke in different directions and topography sends it into different parts of the county, the district warned.
Smoke is more likely to settle into the valley around Redding in the morning hours, according to the county and the National Weather Service.
Pollution levels in Redding fluctuated on Monday, dropping from very unhealthy levels in the early morning to moderate levels by 9 a.m., then soaring again around noon, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow web page. From Shasta Lake to Cottonwood, pollution in the valley reached purple levels (201 to 300 on the Air Quality Index), indicating air that's very unhealthy to breathe.
Bella Vista and communities along Highway 299 got the worst of the Green Fire smoke Monday afternoon. Pollution levels hit 457 on the Air Quality Index, well into the EPA's magenta level (301 AQI and higher). That much pollution is considered "hazardous" to people's health, according to the EPA.
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Shasta and Tehama counties air quality districts advised people to check their air quality before they go out as pollution levels fluctuate this week.
"All members of the public, especially those with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women, and children should remain alert, and if necessary, reduce or avoid all outdoor exertion when wildfire smoke is present," Shasta County's air quality district said in its advisory.
Both counties urged people to limit outdoor exercise in polluted areas, stay indoors with the windows and doors closed and turn on air conditioning with a re-circulation setting, including in vehicles.
Refresh your browser and scroll down to see Redding's air quality, or go to AirNow and type in your zip code.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal , Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding's Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding air quality hits unhealthy levels due to Green Fire smoke
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