Does Sebastopol have the worst air quality in the US right now?
With AQI scores above 1,000 in some areas of West County, Sonoma County declares an air quality alert
Jeff Ranieri, NBC Bay Area’s Chief Meteorologist, has declared that Sebastopol and west Sonoma County are suffering some of worst air quality in the country and perhaps the world tonight, thanks to smoke from Woodside Fire on the Sonoma Coast. He advises that it’s time to get our your N95 masks.
The county issued the following health advisory late this afternoon:
Sonoma County issues health advisory due to poor air quality
The Sonoma County Health Officer today issued the following health advisory:
Areas of Sonoma County may experience “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy” air quality caused by the wildfire event along the coast near Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park. People may experience adverse health effects from the smoke over Sonoma County and across the region. Below are some things you can do when the air quality is poor.
Keep yourself and others safe
Check on friends, family and neighbors. Older adults, pregnant individuals, children and people with heart disease or respiratory illness are susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take precautions to avoid exposure.
Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing cough, a dry scratchy throat, runny nose, trouble breathing and irritated sinuses. Stay hydrated by drinking water during heavy smoke events.
High temperatures can worsen effects of high Air Quality Index (AQI) events.
Avoid adding additional air pollution by minimizing activities such as wood burning, lawn mowing, leaf blowing, driving, barbecuing, smoking or other dust-producing activities. Avoid using hairspray and painting indoors. If possible, use a stove fan when cooking.
Avoid poor air quality
Shelter in place if you are not in an evacuation zone. Staying indoors where the air quality is better, with windows and doors closed, is the best way to protect your health. During high heat and heavy smoke events, keep indoor air cool.
Set air conditioning units and car vent systems to recirculate to keep outside air from moving inside.
Run your home or car air conditioner on recycle or recirculate. Keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside.
Check these air quality monitoring (AQI) resources to learn what the air quality is in the parts of the county in which you live and work:
Purple Air: https://map.purpleair.com
NSCAPCD: https://nosocoair.org/
BAAQMD: https://www.baaqmd.gov/
EPA: https://www.airnow.gov/
CAL/OSHA provides and regulates guidelines to protect workers from wildfire smoke. For more information, go here.
When checking the AQI, please note that federal-certified monitors at EPA’s AirNow Fires site are most accurate, but have an update lag of two to three hours.
Note that Sonoma County is a large county and the air quality will fluctuate in different parts of it due to a number of factors. It’s important to keep track of the air quality in your region and to take steps if it diminishes.
