Calif. wildfires pollute skies, threaten health

Home » News » Local

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Comment

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO — Hundreds of lightning-caused wildfires have turned California skies into an unhealthy stew of smoke and ash, forcing the cancellation of athletic events and other outdoor activities across the state.

Air quality districts from Bakersfield to Redding have issued health advisories through the weekend, urging residents to stay indoors to limit their exposure to the smoky air.

Air pollution readings in Northern California are two to 10 times the federal standard for clean air, said Dimitri Stanich, spokesman for the California Air Resources Board. Some areas experienced the worst air quality on record, with the smoke hanging like a fog down to ground level.

“When you have it on the scale we are seeing now, it is very dangerous to the general public health,” Stanich said. “This is a very serious problem.”

Changing weather brought smoke-clearing breeze and brief relief to some areas Saturday, but it could also bring lightning storms similar to the ones that ignited fires across Northern California a week ago.

Thunderstorms could strike anywhere in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains or the northern Central Valley on Saturday night, but they aren’t expected to bring much rain, said National Weather Service forecaster Johnnie Powell in Sacramento. The front was expected to pass by Sunday, setting up a second week of abysmal air quality.

The renewed threat of dry lightning and stiffer breezes that could stir the wildfires prompted fire officials to declare a “red flag warning” — meaning the most extreme fire danger — until 5 a.m. Monday for Northern California.

On Saturday, President Bush issued an emergency declaration for California and ordered federal agencies to assist in firefighting efforts in Butte, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, and Trinity. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had made the request on Friday, saying that wildfires had burned more than 400 square miles.

But California officials said the federal declaration doesn’t go far enough. State and local governments also need federal financing to cover their “extraordinary costs in fighting these fires and helping the thousands of Californians who have suffered unimaginable loss and damages,” said Henry Renteria, director of the state Office of Emergency Services.

Federal aid now includes four Marine Corps helicopters, remote sensing of the fires by NASA, federal firefighters, and the activation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“At this point what we’re providing are the immediate resources needed to save lives,” FEMA regional director Bob Fenton said in a conference call with reporters. “If there’s additional requirements above and beyond that I’m sure the state will be bringing that to our attention.”

More than 17,000 firefighters, nearly 1,500 fire engines and bulldozers, and more than 80 helicopters and aircraft were fighting more than 1,000 active fires Saturday, said state emergency services spokesman Kelly Huston.

“The summer has just begun, and fire conditions will only get tougher,” Ruben Grijalva, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, warned in a weekly radio address on behalf of the governor.

The fires have destroyed 47 structures and injured 85 people, and they continue to threaten nearly 10,000 homes, businesses and outbuildings, according to his department.

Areas hardest hit include Butte County, where 31 fires have burned 19 square miles and threatened 1,200 homes; Mendocino County, where 121 fires have burned 45 square miles and threatened 900 homes; and Shasta-Trinity counties, where about 160 fires have burned 58 square miles and threatened 230 homes.

A wildfire in the Big Sur region of the Los Padres National Forest has burned 42 square miles and destroyed 16 homes. The blaze, which was only 3 percent contained, has forced the closure of a 12-mile stretch of coastal Highway 1 and driven away visitors at the peak of the tourist season.

Further south in the Los Padres forest, a separate wildfire that started three weeks ago has scorched 92 square miles of remote wilderness. It was 80 percent contained Saturday.

Air quality regulators are especially concerned about high readings of small-particle pollution. The tiniest particles can penetrate past the body’s immune defenses, traveling deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream.

Children, the elderly and people with heart and lung problems are particularly vulnerable, but pollution levels are high enough to affect healthy adults.

Health officials have reported an increase in people complaining of eye and throat irritation and coughing. The poor air can also trigger asthma attacks and bronchitis.

Some veterinary offices said pet owners were bringing in dogs and cats with symptoms ranging from weepy eyes and irritated skin to difficulty breathing or unusual lethargy. Vets were advising that pets remain inside until the smoke clears.

Smoky air canceled this weekend’s 100-mile Western States Endurance Run for the first time in its 31-year history. The decision disappointed 370 runners who had traveled from as far away as Africa for the annual ultramarathon from Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe to Auburn in the Sierra foothills.

In Sonoma County, the limited visibility kept the Energizer Bunny and dozens of other colorful hot air balloons from lifting off during Saturday’s Hot Air Balloon Classic in Windsor.

Cities also closed public pools, canceled softball games and called off Independence Day aerial fireworks displays.

Schwarzenegger urged residents not to buy fireworks this year and said local governments should consider an outright ban, though he would not impose one statewide.

Some air quality officials advised residents to avoid painting projects, vacuuming, grilling with charcoal or lighting candles.

————

Associated Press writers Terence Chea and Amanda Fehd contributed to this story.

1 comment(s)

musikluvr wrote on Jun 29, 2008 8:51 PM:

" I think we should outlaw forest fires and fine them for polluting and causing global warming. Maybe that will teach them a lesson. After we do that we will tackle those pesky volcanoes. "

Join the conversation

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login? (requires cookies)
	Forgot Your Password?

Create an account

Comment Guidelines

The goal of the story comments section at NapaValleyRegister.com is to have an open, thought-provoking, civil community forum for all issues.

What gets your comment posted?

• Staying on topic

• Keeping your comment to 300 words or less

• Avoiding name-calling

• Addressing your comments to the message rather than the messenger

What gets your comment deleted?

• Personal attacks

• Derogatory remarks

• Name-calling of any sort

• Going off-topic

• Hate speech

• Racially-insensitive comments

• Implying guilt of a subject in a crime story before there is a court verdict

• Posting e-mail addresses

• Posting comments of a commercial nature

• POSTING WITH ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

• Linking multiple comments together with "to be continued..." to get around the 300 word limit.

The fine print

- Comments are either approved or denied. We do not edit comments.

- You are welcome to modify and resubmit a denied comment.

- Comments may take several hours to be posted.

- Comments posted are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of NapaValleyRegister.com, its employees or its parent company.

- Do you have information on a story? Please go to our virtual newsroom to send us a news tip.

- If you feel a posted comment has violated our guidelines, please contact online@napanews.com or add a comment indicating you have an issue and our moderators will review the comment in question.

Search: