Masks strongly recommended as air quality plummets in Los Angeles

With hazardous levels of smoke lingering over Los Angeles County as a result of the slew of wildfires currently burning throughout the region, county officials are urging the public to stay safe. 

The air quality led Los Angeles Unified School District officials to close all campuses on both Thursday and Friday, due to the danger presented to students. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho discussed how pressing it is to keep students and staff safe while the threatening conditions persists. 

"Fires may be far away from some communities where we have schools, however, winds are transporting particulate matter, smoke and ashes across the entire district," Carvalho said during a press conference on Thursday. "And yes, we celebrate when the winds subside because that allows more effective combatting of fires, but when the winds subside, often that cloud of smoke lingers over certain communities."

A wildfire smoke advisory remains in place for swaths of Southern California because of the dangerous air being produced by the fires. It was first issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management early in the week and extended until at least Friday evening. 

Current numbers on the Air Quality Index show most of Los Angeles County in unhealthy to hazardous levels as of Thursday. 

"Smoke for us, is the enemy," Carvalho said. 

Wildfire smoke typically carries high levels of PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, which is especially dangerous when inhaled, and AQMD officials advise that if residents must absolutely be outside they should consider a P100 respirator or properly fit N95 mask. 

District officials also doubled the amount of feeding centers opened across LAUSD campuses to 16. On top of this, the YMCA opened 30 locations to students in need of day-to-day resources they typically receive from their schools. 

A number of local businesses are offering free masks and other services to help families in need.