UPDATE: An Air Quality Alert has been issued because of smoke in the Las Vegas valley. The alert is in effect through Saturday morning. The smoke is coming from the Erskine Fire near Bakersfield, California. The advisory remains in effect until Monday.
An alert means that the valley is currently experiencing air quality that is "unhealthy for sensitive groups," which includes children, senior citizens and anyone with respiratory problems. Precautions should be taken.
ORIGINAL STORY
If you haven't noticed yet, it's a bit smoky outside. It kind of smells too.
Wildfires burning in Southern California and Arizona are having a definite effect on the air in the Las Vegas valley.
So much so that an air quality advisory has been issued until Monday.
At this time, the Clark County Department of Air Quality says the air is not yet "unhealthy for sensitive groups," which includes children, senior citizens and people with pre-existing respiratory problems.
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If you are sensitive to smoke or dust, you may want to limit outdoor activity, keep your windows closed, and consider changing your indoor air filters if they are dirty. It's probably not even a bad idea to wear a mask if you absolutely have to be outside.
If the air quality does become unhealthy, DAQ will post an alert on their website here.
VIEWS OF SKIES AROUND THE VALLEY
A wildfire has destroyed 80 houses and 20 other buildings so far about 35 miles northeast of Bakersfield, California. Several thousand people have been forced to evacuate and some 1,500 homes are under threat.
