Wildfire is scary—particularly when it’s close to home, like the Airport Fire. The best way for OC residents to stay up to date on local fire events is to visit the Orange County Fire Authority at OCFA.org or follow them at x.com/OCFireAuthority. Find additional information about all California wildfires at fire.ca.gov/incidents.
Be sure to enroll in the county’s mass notification system, Alert OC, to receive updates at ocgov.com/about-county/emergency. By registering with AlertOC, time-sensitive messages may be sent to your home, mobile or business phone. Text messages may also be sent to mobile phones and email accounts.
OC Smoke-Related Health Advisory
The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) has issued a health advisory due to smoke drift from local wildfires. The health advisory follows a wildfire smoke advisory for parts of Southern California from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), which indicates unhealthy air quality for parts of Orange County. The HCA urges individuals in smoke-impacted areas to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary outdoor activity.
“Individuals with heart and respiratory diseases, older adults, children and pregnant women are among those who can be most directly affected by smoke exposure,” said County Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong. “Air pollution levels from the fire can change rapidly, depending on weather conditions, so we especially recommend that individuals in these higher-risk groups limit outdoor activity and physical exertion until the situation is over.”
Other recommendations include:
- Keep home windows and doors closed, and use your air conditioner on recirculate mode, if available, to limit the intake of outdoor air and keep your home comfortable.
- Keep your mouth and nasal passageways moist by drinking lots of water to help your body filter out potentially harmful particles in the smoke.
- Contact your health provider if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath or severe fatigue. Those who have not been previously diagnosed with lung or heart disease may begin having problems in smoky conditions.
- Those with asthma should follow an asthma management plan, making sure to have at least a five-day supply of asthma medication on hand.
For more information on the smoke advisory visit the AQMD website.
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