The air quality in southern California is being seriously impacted by the raging wildfires in Los Angeles, with city officials instructing residents to keep windows shut and to wear masks outside.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has issued smoke, windblown dust, and ash advisories due to the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires across the Los Angeles area, officials announced:
Among the safety suggestions provided by AQMD are “avoid physical activity,” “remain indoors,” and “run the [air conditioning] or air purifier.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) advised her constituents to limit their exposure to the poor air quality, telling them to shut doors and windows and to wear “a properly fit mask”:
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AirNow air quality map, virtually all of Los Angeles County has subpar air quality as of Wednesday evening, with areas furthest away from the smoke in the yellow zone and the areas burning in the red “unhealthy” zone.
Another map from MyRadar Weather visualizes a “bull’s eye of hazardous air directly over the nation’s second-largest city,” atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci said:
Videos taken by residents — many of whom are evacuating — show billows of thick, dark smoke covering the skies:
There is still zero percent containment on the multiple blazes and at least two civilians have died as a result, fire officials told CBS News.