News

Actions

Wildfire smoke and haze brings an air quality alert to Kern County

Posted at 3:38 PM, Oct 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-12 20:27:36-04

There is an air quality alert in effect today and that haze is shown all around Kern County.

 

“It was very noticeable coming into work, it seems like we get a lot of days where we catch all of the garbage,” said Fred, a Bakersfield resident

 

According to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the fires burning north of us are bringing in unhealthy conditions for everyone.

 

“We are level 1 today, but what is impacting us most is the smoke from the fires up north all the way from the Modesto area but even the Lion Fire is impacting us,” said Christal Martinez, with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in Bakersfield.

 

You could barely see the skyline in the Kern River Valley today, and Bakersfield was hazy in the morning.

 

There is an air quality alert in affect today in Kern County and that will continue through late Friday evening.

 

When you can see and smell smoke, air quality officials ask seniors and young children to stay indoors and people should limit their outdoor activity.

 

“If you do need to go outdoors, we ask you to not do anything strenuous, maybe workout indoors and stay somewhere where with filtered air,” said Martinez.

 

A look ahead- the air quality alert is expected to end on Friday and Saturday is supposed to bring easterly winds that will help to push this smoke out, but may create our own fire hazards.