Placer County issues air-quality warning as Oak Fire smoke drifts into Sierra foothills

As smoke from the Oak Fire drifts into the Sierra foothills, Placer County has issued an air-quality advisory through Tuesday.

The Placer Department of Health and Human Services and the Placer County Air Pollution Control District announced the joint advisory in a news release on Sunday evening.

In the release, authorities urged that residents of the county avoid all unnecessary outdoor activities if they can see or smell smoke.

“Air quality can change rapidly at different times during the day due to wind shifts; monitor smoke throughout the day and make outdoor plans accordingly,” the release read.

The Oak Fire, which ignited in rural Mariposa County on Friday, had burned 16,971 acres on Monday morning. In the update, Cal Fire announced that crews had contained 10% of the blaze.

In the Colfax area, air quality levels reached the “unhealthy” designation on Sunday, according to an alert from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. In Auburn and Rio Vista, air quality was at a “moderate” level on Sunday.

In the alert, authorities warned that people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children are most vulnerable to poor air quality, especially when they are physically active outdoors.

In metropolitan Sacramento and most of the city’s surrounding municipalities, air quality was still designated as “good” on Sunday.

By 3:30 p.m. Monday, lofty haze and the smell of smoke was present in South Land Park, downtown and along the Interstate 80 corridor.

PurpleAir had South Land Park’s air index at about 170 on Monday afternoon, a level that could cause some members of the general public to experience health effects within 24 hours of exposure.

Jamie Arno, a Sacramento Metropolitan air district spokeswoman, urged anyone who sees smoke in the area to go indoors or move to another location.

Detailed Information on air quality and smoke can be found on AirNow’s Fire and Smoke website.

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 10:15 AM.