An Air Quality Alert has been issued for San Luis Obispo County and it's expected to remain in place through the weekend.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District (APCD), smoke from multiple fires outside of the area is impacting local air quality.
APCD officials say you can expect hazy skies and fine particulate concentrations to be higher than normal. They say smoke will likely be present in our region from time to time until the fires are extinguished.
If you smell smoke or see ash fall from the sky, experts recommend you take the following actions:
- Head indoors and remain indoors, if possible
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activity
- Close all windows and doors that lead outside to prevent bringing additional smoke inside
As of Thursday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in all areas of San Luis Obispo County was "moderate," except in the Cholame area where the AQI was listed as "unhealthy for sensitive groups."
The AQI for several areas of Santa Barbara County was also registering "moderate" on Thursday, and Air Pollution Control District officials there said smoke was expected to impact the area through Saturday with conditions starting to improve by Sunday.
For the latest air quality reports in San Luis Obispo County, visit SLOCleanAir.org.
For the latest air quality reports in Santa Barbara County, visit OurAir.org.
To check out the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map showing air quality across the state, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov.
