Sacramento is building smoke shelters to act as safe spaces from wildfires
SACRAMENTO — You've heard of storm shelters for tornadoes and hurricanes, but now, Sacramento is stepping up its game by creating smoke shelters for another type of natural disaster: severe wildfires.
During wildfire season, the Sacramento region can have some of the worst air quality on the planet, and smoke is becoming a growing concern in California as officials plan for climate change.
"The summers keep getting hotter and we end up with more dry vegetation," said Mark Loutzenhiser with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.
Now, the city is taking part in a pilot program to help keep people safe during smoky days. More than a quarter-million dollars will go toward converting the Pannell Community Center into an emergency clean-air shelter.
"It's really about reducing your exposure," Loutzenhiser said.
Loutzenhiser said creating smoke shelters is a part of the region's new wildfire smoke emergency plan.
"The idea behind a smoke shelter is trying to create safe places for people that may not have good conditions in their home or where they live, that they can come to these centers to get out of the smokey conditions," he said.
The city will upgrade the community center's ventilation system by installing new charcoal air filters and an indoor environmental quality controller. They will also add solar power and a microgrid so the facility can operate during blackouts and fire-related public safety power shutoffs.
Many who live in the neighborhood support the plan.
"I think that would be a great idea for a lot of people around here because a lot of people don't have ventilation," said one resident who lives near the community center.
"This would be a good centrally located place for people to come to," said another resident in the area.
Money for the shelter comes from a state grant that is funding a network of clean air centers, and there may be a growing need as the severity of California wildfires increases.
"I think you will see more of these," Loutzenhiser said.
Sacramento's wildfire emergency plan recommends opening the smoke shelters once pollution levels exceed 200 on the air quality index, which is in the "very unhealthy" range.