Skip to main content
Donate

Wildfires Cause Air Quality Alerts in Southern California

By Zach Behrens
May 4, 2013
Support Provided By
wildfires-air-quality-southern-california

Smoke from the Springs Fire over the Conejo Valley in Ventura County. | Photo: Night Owl City/Flickr/Creative Commons License

A number of wildfires in Southern California have prompted air quality officials to release warnings this week.

The largest blaze, the Springs Fire in the western Santa Monica Mountains, has charred 28,000 acres and is 20 percent contained. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District on Friday said "levels reached the Unhealthy range," which could persist throughout the weekend. The agency urged people in areas "directly affected by smoke and ash ... to exercise caution and avoid vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion." More details and tips can be found on their website.

Over in Riverside County, public officials earlier this week advised residents of smoke from the Summit Fire, which has scorched nearly 3,000 acres since Wednesday in the Banning area. "Wildfire smoke, which is a mixture of small particles, gases, and water vapor, is covering portions of the [San Gorgonio] Pass area and could cause residents health problems," a press release read.

The fires have neighboring counties releasing public health alerts and advisories, too. In Los Angeles County, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said smoke from the Springs Fire and a small conflagration on Friday in Glendale impacted the San Fernando Valley, West San Gabriel Valley, and the coastal area from Malibu to Santa Monica. "[A]ll individuals are urged to be cautious and to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities," said L.A. County Health Officer Jonathan Fielding.

San Bernardino and Santa Barbara counties also released air quality warnings.

Support Provided By
Read More
An oil pump painted white with red accents stands mid-pump on a dirt road under a blue, cloudy sky with a green, grassy slope in the background.

California’s First Carbon Capture Project: Vital Climate Tool or License to Pollute?

California’s first attempt to capture and sequester carbon involves California Resources Corp. collecting emissions at its Elk Hills Oil and Gas Field, and then inject the gases more than a mile deep into a depleted oil reservoir. The goal is to keep carbon underground and out of the atmosphere, where it traps heat and contributes to climate change. But some argue polluting industries need to cease altogether.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters
Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

California Isn't on Track To Meet Its Climate Change Mandates. It's Not Even Close.

According to the annual California Green Innovation Index released by Next 10 last week, California is off track from meeting its climate goals for the year 2030, as well as reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters
A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A Battle Is Underway Over California’s Lucrative Dairy Biogas Market

California is considering changes to a program that has incentivized dairy biogas, to transform methane emissions into a source of natural gas. Neighbors are pushing for an end to the subsidies because of its impact on air quality and possible water pollution.
By Emma Foehringer Merchant, Inside Climate News