5 things to know about the smoke advisory across Southern California

Orange skies tinted by wildfire ash loomed over Southern California on Friday as a smoke advisory was extended for at least another day.

The advisory cautioned folks in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties to limit outdoor activities due to the unhealthy air quality, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The Bobcat fire near the San Gabriel Valley, and the El Dorado fire in the Inland Empire, had burned more than 40,000 acres as of Friday morning.

The smoke advisory likely will continue into the weekend as those two fires, and several others, continue to burn statewide.

While smoke advisories are nothing new to folks in the region who have endured wildfire seasons in the past, the start to this year’s season is unprecedented. Since the start of August, the state has seen five of the largest wildfires in history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

As the smoke advisory continues, here are some things to keep in mind:

What is a smoke advisory, and why does one get issued?

Smoke advisories warn the public if the air quality from wildfires are at unhealthy levels and recommend limited exposure. The local Air Quality Management District has monitors throughout the region, which can detect the quality of the air.

AIR QUALITY ADVISORY UPDATE: #BobcatFire + #ElDoradoFire Smoke Advisories extended to Saturday, September 12th: https://t.co/Y158OoPtBX pic.twitter.com/LTaefz9YA8

— South Coast AQMD (@SouthCoastAQMD) September 11, 2020

Since Thursday morning, the air quality in the region has been categorized as unhealthy to hazardous. Vulnerable groups — such as children, older people and folks with respiratory conditions — can be particularly at risk under such conditions.

“If you smell smoke, that’s probably a very good indication that it’s doing damage to your lungs if it were to prolong for a longer period,” said Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Is this all from the Bobcat and the El Dorado fires?

While the Bobcat and El Dorado fires are significantly contributing, the majority of the smoke is coming from wildfires further north. The fires in through Northern California and Oregon – which have caused hundreds of thousands of evacuations – are the main source.

A large high-pressure system off of the coast was pushing down the smoke from those fires further south, Hall said.

“That’s pushing all of the smoke south,” he said, “As it’s moving down some of it is settling and that’s creating some of the air quality issues.”

While the smoke from the northern fires was mostly in the upper levels of the atmosphere, the Bobcat fire was producing the majority of the ash that was being reported downwind, according to the South Coast AQMD. However, both the Bobcat and El Dorado fires could be seen producing smoke from satellite imagery.

Why is the bad air lingering?

Due to the high-pressure system off of the coast and the marine layer, the smoke keeps moving down to Southern California and isn’t going anywhere.

“Any smoke that’s near the surface can get trapped in,” Hall said of the marine layer, “and make some of the air quality issues a little worse.”

One bright side to the mixed marine layer and smoke, though, is that it has brought temperatures down slightly, aiding in firefighting efforts, he added.

How long can we expect this to go on?

The current smoke advisory was issued until Saturday afternoon, but that could be extended.

Locally, the Bobcat fire was at 26,368 and 6% containment as of Friday, and the El Dorado fire was at 13,715 acres and 31% containment. Fires up north continue to rage as well.

“We see a little more (smoke) headed our way right now,” Hall said. “Looking at some of the latest information we have coming from satellite and some of our models, the flow pattern won’t start to switch around until really probably late in the weekend.”

The best hope for breaking out of the smoke would be Saturday afternoon, or possibly even Sunday, he said.

How does one stay safe from smoke exposure?

The best way to stay safe from poor air quality is to stay indoors. That’s especially important for people with health conditions.

Even when inside, windows and doors should be shut, according to the San Bernardino County Department of Health. Air conditioners should be set to be run on a re-circulation function, as not to pull in the smokey air, health officials said.

People should avoid being outside for long periods of time, such as for exercise. Using your nose to smell for smoke is the best tool people have to determine how bad the air is, Hall said.

When you do have to go outside, wearing a mask can help with some of the smoke particles, according to the Air Quality Management District.

“Fortunately, we have a lot of people wearing masks right now so that does help substantially,” Hall said. “And it cuts some of the larger particles that are in the air.”

Anyone who feels symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath or fatigue should contact a doctor, health officials said.