Air quality officials issued a smoke advisory Thursday in response to the Cristianitos wildfire, which has scorched 700 acres in San Diego County at Camp Pendleton.
At the time of this post, the fire was about 10 percent contained. Meanwhile, winds from the south have been spreading smoke into Orange County and portions of Los Angeles County, prompting an alert from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
“As the winds shift to come from the southwest later this morning, some smoke is also possible through Riverside and San Bernardino Counties at times,” according to the agency. “Generally, smoke impacts in the South Coast Air Basin are expected to improve today as the sea-breeze increases.”
The South Coast AQMD says its advisory will remain in effect through Friday morning, and air quality may reach unhealthy levels in areas directly impacted by smoke. This includes the Capistrano Valley, Saddleback Valley and the central Orange County coastal areas.
Residents should avoid vigorous activities in any area impacted by spoke, and children and older adults should probably remain indoors, according to the agency. The same goes for those with respiratory issues or heart disease.
Here are some additional tips:
- Keep your windows and doors closed or seek an alternate shelter.
- Run your air conditioner if you have one and keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside.
- Avoid using a swamp cooler or whole-house fan to prevent bringing additional smoke inside.
- To avoid worsening the health effects of smoke, don’t use indoor or outdoor wood-burning appliances, including fireplaces.
Additional air quality information updates can be found at www.aqmd.gov.