Haze from several Northern California wildfires drifts into Sacramento Valley
A haze visible in parts of the Sacramento Valley on Thursday is from multiple wildfires burning in Northern California. A north wind is pushing the smoke to the valley, and a high-pressure system is locking it in with little wind.
The Woodland Fire Department said it received several calls on Thursday from neighbors concerned about smoke in the air and reassured in a Facebook post that the haze is not from any local fires, but rather it's from fires burning up north.
is forecasted to be in the moderate range Thursday through Monday. This means people who are usually sensitive to ozone should consider reducing their activity level or shortening the amount of time they are active outside.
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District issued its first air quality advisory of the year for Thursday and Friday.
"The increased Ozone combined with the increased particulate matter from the wildfire smoke is going to mean the air pollution could be really bad tomorrow," said Brielle Jamros, a spokesperson for the agency.
Jamros suggested vulnerable populations take precautions through the weekend.
"Especially children, older adults, pregnant individuals, those with heart or lung conditions should take steps to reduce their exposure to smoke. How you can reduce exposure is staying indoors, limiting outdoor activity, especially exercise. Running a filter an air filter to keep your indoor air clean," said Jamros.
Woodland fire also recommends keeping windows and doors closed and running the air conditioning on recirculate if possible.
is forecasted to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. AirNow recommends that people with lung disease, children and teens, older adults and people who are active outdoors for several hours a day should reduce their time outdoors.
Green Fire in Shasta County
The largest of the several fires in Shasta County is the Green Fire, which has burned nearly 4,400 acres just east of Shasta Lake, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The is within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, federally managed land, and broke out on July 1. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation warning due to the Green Fire, but no evacuation orders were in effect as of Thursday afternoon.
Forest Service officials said between July 1-3, they recorded more than 3,200 lightning strikes, which resulted in several wildfires. On July 3, forest officials reported nearly 30 fires — most under one acre — had ignited during that time.
Another notable fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest was the Horse Fire, which burned 385 acres after it sparked on July 2. That fire has since been contained.
Marble Complex in Siskiyou County
Over in the Klamath National Forest, crews are battling the Marble Complex Incident. Two fires, the Summit Fire and Jacket Fire, have burned a total of 570 acres as of Thursday.
The Summit Fire has been the most active fire, crews said. It's burned 524 acres and has burned west of Etna and near the Pacific Crest Trail. This fire forced officials to issue .
Orleans Complex
The Orleans Complex is also burning in the Six Rivers National Forest, with the Butler Fire burning about 3,600 acres northeast of Orleans and near Butler Mountain. This fire has threatened about 20 structures in the community of Butler Flat, officials said.
The complex fire forced in western Siskiyou County.
