Air Quality Conditions

Due to fire safety concerns, Mesa County Public Health has issued a no burn advisory from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on May 19. Burning of any kind, including agricultural burning, is not allowed during this advisory period.

The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory with winds 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 50 mph expected.

Purple Air: Realtime Air Quality Conditions

The map below is generated by PurpleAir. This grassroots organization relies on volunteers to allow air sensors to be placed on their businesses or homes. PurpleAir uses the same scale that the Environmental Protection Agency uses – the Air Quality Index scale – to compare and measure pollutants in the air.

The scale uses green for good, yellow for moderate, orange for unhealthy for sensitive groups, red for unhealthy, purple for very unhealthy and maroon for hazardous. The Air Quality Index above is also useful, but only monitors several County-wide sensors. Click here to learn more about AQI.

Understanding Alert Levels

Open Burning

In Mesa County residential open burn seasons run from March 1 – May 31 (Spring Open Burn) and from September 1 – October 31 (Fall Open Burn). The burn season within City limits is one month shorter.

Agricultural Burn Permits allow burning year-round in Mesa County and during designated burn seasons within the City of Grand Junction

No Burn Advisory

If conditions warrant, a No Burn Advisory may be issued to protect the health of residents. When one is issued, restrictions are put in place on open burning or woodstove burning. Residents should note that woodstove burning restrictions do not apply to those who use a woodstove as a primary heat source.

To report a suspected illegal burn click here.

Burn Permits

The easiest way to get a burn permit is to apply online. Click here for the online system.

For questions about obtaining a burn permit, or for help with the online system, call 970-248-6900.

Understanding Air Quality

Air quality is the state of air that promotes optimal health. Air quality impacts how you live and breathe. It can change from day to day, even hour to hour. Mesa County Public Health is constantly monitoring air quality with forecast models, measurement tools and observation. Our team utilizes this local data to inform and educate community members about current air quality conditions. This data, over time, helps shape local policies on clean air.

What impacts our Air Quality

We use a measurement system called AQI (air quality index) developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assign a numerical value to the air quality. This system takes four major air pollutants into account, ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. The higher the AQI, the greater the level of air pollution.