How is the air quality due to fires?
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1276 people missing and 76 funerals to arrange, I wonder whether anyone has prioritised monitoring the air quality.
My thoughts and prayers are with those poor people and their families
As of this posting, the Air Quality in Anaheim as reported by the EPA’s “Air Now” website is listed as “79 - Moderate”.
AQI: Moderate (51 - 100)
Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
While any person with even half a heart is undoubtedly feeling compassion and empathy for those that have been harmed or taken away from us by the devastating fires, life does go on and monitoring potentially unsafe air quality to protect yourself and loved ones who may be heading to the Anaheim area seems like an excellent idea to me.
Donate to the relief efforts and help in any other way you can, but don’t stop living and don’t stop protecting yourself and loved ones because “harmful air” is not as bad as being killed in a fire. That’s a false dichotomy that doesn’t help anyone but could potentially cause harm.
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@earlydisney, I have heard of the danger but I believe those reports are from the northern fire:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/air-quality-california.html
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Yes, you are correct @PrincipalTinker. There are some bad spots in SoCal but it is particularly nasty up north.
I’m a retired firefighter currently doing volunteer work for the brave men and women fighting the Camp Fire so near my home, and the air quality up near the Sacramento area is usually rated as “Very Unhealthy” or “Hazardous”. I sleep in my N95 filter mask and my heart goes out to they very young, very old, and anyone with asthma or respiratory issues who are at great risk here right now.
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My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their lives, homes and for those who are missing. I meant no harm or disrespect towards anyone dealing with the aftermath of the fires. We are traveling tomorrow and I was concerned about the air quality for my family. Before you jump on me for asking, you don’t know my story or why we are traveling for Thanksgiving, so no continued comments are necessary.
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Thank You.
I live in the Bay Area (San Jose specifically) and the air quality has been bad or terrible (~175 aqi) for a few days now. School was cancelled on Monday and we’ve cowered indoors the whole weekend. Anywhere closer like Sacramento has be completely awful.
In answer to your question @earlydisney, the air quality was good. We just got back today. The wind has been blowing the southern CA fire smoke out to sea. We live in the Central Valley and we are getting the smoke from the Camp fire and the air quality is abismal here. I wanted to go back just to breathe the clean air! Have a great time and a wonderful holiday!
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Sorry I accidentally deleted my post. I was trying to change a typo:
The fires here are devastating and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the emergency personnel risking their lives to battle the fires and their families as well (Being married to a fire fighter, I am painfully aware how scary this can be), however the OP has a valid question. I live in the San Joaquin Valley in CA and the air quality is horrific. Nearly all the outdoor activities here have been cancelled and we are keeping our animals and kids indoors as much as possible. Despite these tragic fires, we went to Disneyland and just got back. Fortunately the air quality is far better there than it at home.
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We were just there and you are correct. We live in a Valley and the surrounding mountains has trapped the smoke in. Thanks to strong winds Anaheim was blue skies, home is gray and hazy. When we came down a stretch of Interstate 5 called the Grapevine it was like driving into a small room with 50 chain smokers.
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I said nothing to suggest that you did and I wasn’t questioning the validity of your concern. I was merely expressing the fact that the magnitude of the suffering is just overwhelming.
Editing your post the way you did does significantly change the perceived “tone”.
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That’s what I thought! 
The Welsh press showed a photograph of Anthony Hopkins’ house, standing alone in a sea of dereliction. Unimaginable horror.
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We live about 2 hours from the Camp fire. Air quality has been bad. Schools closed, many offices closed. On Thursday, the AQI was 330. I understand it was even higher when DH and I were away. It’s been fluctuating since then. Right now it’s 173, which is characterized as “Unhealthy” for everyone, not just sensitive groups.
The devastation from this fire will last for years. Horrible loss of life and property.
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It’s so awful, it’s hard to comprehend the scale of the destruction.