As smoke from the Gifford Fire moves across the region, Southern San Luis Obispo County could see an impact in air quality overnight Tuesday, according to San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District.
Local air quality officials say smoke pollutants are mainly affecting the eastern flank of the Gifford Fire in the California Valley and Cuyama areas, but that is forecasted to change.
“We've mostly escaped impacts from the Gifford fire,” said Karl Tupper, executive director of the SLO County Air Pollution Control District. “But starting tomorrow and moving into Thursday, we do expect to see some smoke impacts in south county – the Five Cities area, Nipomo, and as far north as San Luis Obispo.”
Tupper says those areas could see moderate to unhealthy air quality, especially for sensitive groups beginning Tuesday night and continuing through Wednesday and potentially into the weekend.
Eastern county areas including the California Valley, Carrizo Plain, and Cuyama Valley, will also continue to experience poor air quality as a result of the fire.
The greatest danger comes from fine particulates – tiny airborne particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
County air quality officials caution residents to avoid cleaning up ash by hand or using leaf blowers until air quality conditions improve.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service told KCBX that hot and dry conditions could make the firefight more difficult with SLO County temperatures reaching between 90 and 102 degrees this week.
The current and forecasted AQI is available via the APCD website: slocleanair.org.
