Wildfires and Smoke: #AQAW2021 Day One

 

Cameron Peak Fire, 2020. Image Credit: Inciweb

 

Today is the first day of Air Quality Awareness Week and the topic is wildfires and smoke. In 2020, the NFRMPO region learned all to well about the air quality impacts of wildfires. Smoke from wildfires can cause unhealthy air in nearby and faraway locations. The particles in smoke can cause a range of health impacts, from relatively minor symptoms such as eye and respiratory tract irritation, to serious impacts such as exacerbation of asthma and heart failure, and even premature death.

Each year, Air Quality Awareness Week (AQAW) is held to share resources on air quality. The theme for this year's AQAW is "Healthy Air - Important For Everyone!" Follow along all week on Social Media using #AQAW2021 to learn more about air quality. AQAW is brought to you by AirNow partner agencies – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and U.S. Department of State – Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Learn more at https://www.airnow.gov/aqaw/wildfires-smoke/, including how to set up a clean room to protect yourself during wildfire events and how to find smoke forecasts.