RED FLAG WARNING

No Burning Friday (9/20) from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Mesa County Public Health has issued an Air Watch Alert from Friday (9/20) at 12:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Due to fire safety concerns, no open burning is allowed.  

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Mesa County and other areas across the Western Slope. The combination of gusty winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels will result in critical fire weather conditions. Burning of any kind, including open burning, is not allowed during this alert period.  

Keep in mind, if your open burn becomes out of control and causes damage on a property that you don’t own, you could face civil and criminal charges. 

Instead of burning, consider these alternatives:

• Take yard waste to the Mesa County Organic Materials composting facility at Mesa County Solid Waste, 3071 U.S. Hwy. 50. The facility accepts material for composting at no charge and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday. For more information, call (970) 263-9319.
• Compost leaves and grass clippings yourself. This can improve water retention in your yard or garden.
• Rent or borrow a wood chipper for your tree and shrub trimmings. Chipped branches can also be good mulch.

For more information on fire safety and air quality conditions and alerts, visit our air quality page.

Mesa County Public Health has issued an Air Watch Alert through Saturday (9/14) at 4:00 p.m. To protect air quality and for the health and safety of all residents, no open burning is allowed.  

 Ozone levels are forecasted to be in the Moderate category on the Air Quality Index (AQI) and we anticipate poor smoke dispersal conditions through Saturday afternoon. Ozone and tiny smoke particles can enter the lungs, affect your health, reduce visibility, and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated.

Residents in sensitive groups, including people with heart or lung disease, older adults and young children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion while these bans are in place.

Keep in mind, if your open burn becomes out of control and causes damage on a property that you don’t own, you could face civil and criminal charges. 

All residents can help improve air quality in the Grand Valley.  Please consider taking these small steps to improve air quality:

• Avoid vehicle idling.
• Carpool when possible.
• Combine errands into one trip.
• Avoid waiting in drive-thru lines.

For more information on air quality conditions and alerts, including real-time readings through a community-sourced monitoring system called Purple Air, visit our air quality page.

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.