Full Notification

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued another smoke advisory today for areas throughout the South Coast Air Basin where smoke impacts occur, cautioning residents that air quality may reach the Unhealthy range or higher due to the Colby Fire.

All individuals are urged to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in any area directly impacted by smoke. This includes areas where residents can see or smell smoke.

Although smoke and air quality conditions have improved overnight, the Colby Fire, burning in the Angeles National Forest above Glendora and into nearby communities, may still produce large amounts of smoke. Smoke that accumulated offshore yesterday and overnight may come back onshore today and impact areas throughout the four-county air basin at times, especially near coastal areas. Areas directly impacted by smoke and ash may experience air quality in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range or higher. Depending on fire and weather conditions, unhealthy air quality is most likely to occur in portions of the San Gabriel Valley, the Pomona/Walnut Valley, and the San Gabriel Mountains near the fire.

In any area impacted by smoke:

Everyone should avoid any vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children should remain indoors. Keep windows and doors closed or seek alternate shelter. Run your air conditioner if you have one. Do not use a swamp cooler or whole-house fan to prevent bringing additional smoke inside. To avoid worsening the health effects of wildfire smoke, don’t use indoor or outdoor wood-burning appliances, including fireplaces.

For anyone not able to avoid a smoky area, a special N95 or P100 respirator mask worn properly may help protect against the fine particles in smoke. Paper or surgical masks do not protect the wearer from smoke. To learn more on how to properly wear a special respirator mask and help protect from wildfire smoke, go to

http://www.arb.ca.gov/videos/impacts_of_smoke.htm and http://www.arb.ca.gov/carpa/toolkit/data-to-mes/wildfire-smoke-guide.pdf.