How do wildfires affect Arizona air quality? What to know to stay safe
During wildfire season, smoke plumes can move throughout the state, worsening air quality for many and making it tough to breathe.
Wildfire smoke contains a lot of toxic pollutants that can cause many issues for those close to the areas affected. It can also adversely affect those with breathing conditions like asthma as well as the elderly and children.
JoAnna Strother, Phoenix-based regional senior director of advocacy at the American Lung Association, said smoke can travel in the air hundreds of thousands of miles.
"Even if the wildfire might be in Nevada, California, it can still impact us here in Arizona," Strother said.
We asked experts how wildfire smoke can contribute to worsening or bad air quality and how you can keep yourself and your family safe. Here's what they said.
How does wildfire smoke contribute to bad air quality?
The way smoke travels depends on wind pattern and whether there's rain or cloud cover, Strother said.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) meteorologist Matthew Pace said smoke in the day and smoke at night move differently, as well. In the Arizona daytime, Pace explained, light-to-moderate smoke moves towards the northeast. The biggest concern looms at night, as fire smoke drops to the ground due to cooler temperatures, Pace noted.
Wildfire "smoke is particulate matter that's 2.5 microns and smaller, so essentially 20 times smaller than the human hair," Pace said. "Those, obviously, when you're breathing them, they can go further down into your lungs."
Wildfire guide: Your Arizona wildfire questions answered, including how to be prepared
Is wildfire smoke bad to breathe?
The Arizona Department of Health Services states small particles in the wildfire smoke cause:
Burning eyes.
Runny nose.
Scratchy throat.
Headaches.
Illness such as bronchitis.
The state’s Health Services Department also warns wildfire smoke worsens these preexisting conditions:
Heart disease.
Lung disease.
Asthma.
Emphysema.
COPD.
Children and the elderly are also at risk.
How can I check air quality?
The Arizona Department of Enviornmental Quality lists three levels of precaution to follow:
Level one: Stay smoke aware (no smoke to haze to light smoke to smoke in the vicinity).
Level two: Minimize outdoor activities (smoke in the vicinity to patchy smoke to widespread moderate smoke).
Level three: Stay inside (heavy to dense smoke).
The environment quality department also has hourly updated air quality reports for different Arizona cities:
The department’s website features forecasts on wildfire smoke when air quality could be impacted.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How do wildfires affect Arizona air quality? What to know
