With dangerous smoke levels hanging over Los Angeles County due to the many wildfires currently raging in the region, county officials are urging the public to stay safe.
The air quality prompted Los Angeles Unified School District officials to close all campuses on both Thursday and Friday due to the danger to students. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho discussed the urgency of keeping students and staff safe while threatening conditions persist.
“Fires may be far away from some communities where we have schools, but the wind carries particulate matter, smoke and ash throughout the district,” Carvalho said during a news conference Thursday. “And yes, we celebrate when the wind dies down because that allows for more effective firefighting, but when the wind dies down, that cloud of smoke often lingers over certain communities.”
A The smoke advisory for wildfires remains in force for parts of Southern California due to the hazardous air produced by the fires. It was first issued this week by South Coast Air Quality Management and extended until at least Friday evening.
Current Air Quality Index numbers show most of Los Angeles County has been at unhealthy to dangerous levels as of Thursday.
“Smoke is the enemy for us,” Carvalho said.
Wildfire smoke typically contains high levels of PM2.5, or fine particles, which is especially dangerous when inhaled. AQMD officials advise that if residents absolutely must be outdoors, they should consider a P100 respirator or a tight-fitting N95 mask.
District officials also doubled the number of nutrition centers open on LAUSD campuses to 16. In addition, the YMCA opened 30 locations for students in need of the daily resources they normally receive from their schools.
Anumber of local companies are offering free masks and other services to help families in need.
