Placer County, CA…The Placer County Public Health Officer and Placer County Air Pollution Control District are re-issuing this joint Air Quality Advisory to notify the public of continuing poor air quality conditions due to smoke from the American Fire, 17 miles north-east of Foresthill.

These widespread smoky conditions will continue to affect Placer County from the valley to the Lake Tahoe area, dependent upon the wind direction, until the fire is extinguished. In the early morning smoke tends to move downhill, becoming more concentrated in lower elevation areas, especially the foothills and possibly in the afternoons in the Lake Tahoe region.

In general, if you can see or smell smoke, try to avoid all unnecessary outdoor activities.

The major air pollutant of concern is fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. While all persons may experience varying degrees of symptoms, the more sensitive individuals, such as the young, aged and those with respiratory conditions are of greatest risk at experiencing more aggravated symptoms. These may include, but are not limited to coughing, watery and itchy eyes, scratchy throat, and difficulty in breathing.

Here are recommended ways to reduce your smoke exposure:

Stay indoors with the windows and doors closed; run the air conditioner on the “recirculation” setting
Limit outdoor exertion and physical activity
Leave the smoke-impacted areas until conditions improve, if possible
Reduce unnecessary driving. If traveling through smoke-impacted areas, be sure that your vehicle’s ventilation system is on re-circulate
Avoid the use of non‐HEPA paper face mask filters, which are not capable of filtering out extra fine particulates

Persons experiencing questionable or severe symptoms should contact their doctor if they have any questions.

Keep in mind that air quality can change rapidly at different times during the day due to wind shifts; therefore, it is important to monitor the smoke throughout the day in your area and make outdoor plans accordingly.

Information on air quality and smoke can be found at www.placer.ca.gov/apcd or www.sparetheair.com. The Spare the Air website is a useful site to monitor current air quality values.