Air Quality alert: Stay Indoors in Parts of California and Oregon
Thousands of residents across parts of California and Oregon have been advised to stay indoors where possible on Thursday due to concerns over high levels of air pollution.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s AirNow map showed that areas including Cromberg, Portola, and Sattley in California, and La Pine in oregon faced “unhealthy” levels of air quality as of 03:10 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Why It Matters
Unhealthy levels of air pollution can affect everyone,but vulnerable people-especially the elderly,children,and those with existing heart or lung conditions-are particularly at risk.
Exposure to poor air can lead to eye, throat, and nose irritation, coughing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath.
When pollution is in the “unhealthy” range, the EPA advises that sensitive groups avoid long or intense outdoor activities and consider moving or rescheduling them indoors. The EPA also recommends that everyone else reduce long or intense activities and take more breaks during outdoor activities.
What To Know
Parts of Plumas county in California, and Deschutes county in Oregon faced “unhealthy” levels of air pollution early Thursday morning.
AirNow, an official EPA partner, monitors air quality levels across the U.S. using a standardized system called the Air Quality Index (AQI). This uses a scale of 0 to 500 to rate the level of air pollution.
- 0-50 (Green): Good-air quality