Joint Air Pollution Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2023

A JOINT AIR POLLUTION ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE GLENN COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT and GLENN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT

To:

Public Safety Personnel                   

School Officials

News Media              

California Air Pollution Control Officers Assn.           

County Health Officer                       

Local/State Law & Fire Federal

Local Hospitals                     

Glenn County & City Managers                  

From:  Marcie Skelton, Air Pollution Control Officer

Laura Medina, Assistant Deputy Director, Program Manager II

The Glenn County Air Pollution Control District and the Glenn County Public Health Department are issuing this Air Pollution Advisory to notify the public of potential poor air quality conditions in Glenn County due to smoke from multiple fires in surrounding counties. Regional air quality is forecast to potentially reach unhealthy levels.  Smoke impacts are expected to vary during the course of the next several days depending on wind direction and the intensity of the fire activity.

The major air pollutant of concern is fine particulate matter also known as PM2.5. While all persons may experience varying degrees of symptoms, more sensitive populations, such as the young, the elderly, pregnant women, smokers, and those with respiratory conditions, are of greatest risk to experience more aggravated symptoms which may include but are not limited to coughing, watery and itchy eyes, and difficulty in breathing. The attached chart is a tool to estimate how poor the air quality is based on how far you can see through the smoke and what precautions you should take based on your health. The chart is based on whether or not you can see objects outside at the known distances given. In general, if you can see and/or smell smoke, limit your outdoor activities. 

Persons experiencing questionable or severe symptoms should seek professional medical advice and treatment.  The following actions are recommended as needed in areas impacted by smoke during the poor air pollution periods:

Limit outdoor exertion by children, students and adults;

Reduction in travel including unnecessary driving;

Check or replace air conditioner filters.

Information is available by calling the Glenn County Air Pollution Control District at (530) 934-6500, visiting www.countyofglenn.net/APCD, and by following the District on Twitter @GlennCountyAir. More information regarding current fire and smoke information is also available at CAL-FIRE’s website http://www.fire.ca.gov/, the California Smoke Blog http://californiasmokeinfo.blogspot.com/ and EPA’s Air Now website https://www.airnow.gov/.