Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) has issued an Air Quality Advisory through Sunday at 1 p.m. Hazy conditions are expected due to smoke from surrounding areas.
“We take a number of factors into account when issuing an Air Quality Advisory. The dry, windy conditions expected with a Red Flag warning Friday, combined with smoke dispersal forecasted to get into the poor category prompted this advisory,” said Heidi Dragoo, Epidemiology Program Manager at Mesa County Public Health.
When air quality is in the moderate or poor range, there’s an increased risk for people in sensitive groups, including people with heart or lung disease, older adults and young children. If visibility is less than five miles due to smoke, the smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
Residents are advised to take the following precautions to stay healthy:
- Avoid heavy outdoor exertion such as running or other forms of exercise.
- Keep your indoor air clean and stay inside.
- Avoid activities that increase indoor pollution. You want to keep your indoor air as clean
as possible.- Do not vacuum. It stirs up dust in your home.
- Do not smoke tobacco in your home.
- Do not burn candles, fireplaces or gas stoves.
- Contact your health care provider if you’re concerned about your health.
Agricultural burns, which are allowed year-round, are not allowed when there are Red Flag or other weather warnings or alerts in place.
For more information on air quality conditions and alerts, including real-time readings through a community-sourced monitoring system called Purple Air, visit health.mesacounty.us.