Bad Air Quality In Vacaville To Get Worse Overnight
VACAVILLE (CBS13) — Multiple fires created hazy skies throughout the Sacramento Region Tuesday, but bad air quality hit the hardest in the Vacaville and Winters area.
Smoke-filled air is getting worse by the hour in Vacaville, according to the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District. Vacaville residents have noticed the problem all day.
"A lot of fog, there was smoke in the air. One of my employees, her son, had an asthma attack. They live in Woodland," said Valerie Francis.
The amount of smoke in the area is about five times above what is considered safe. It's coming from three fires burning close to each other in Napa County. All three were caused by lightning and roughly 25,000 acres have burned.
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The wind is pushing the smoke down to Vacaville.
"That causes your runny nose, itchy eyes, a cough," said Stephanie Holliday, spokesperson for the Yolo-Solano Air Quality management district.
Holliday said this problem will get worse overnight because the smoke is sinking to ground level.
"Overnight you'll see the smoke settle down into the valley because of reduced mixing and dispersion," she said.
It will take hours before the air starts mixing again and the smoke lifts off the ground. Holliday said that could happen around 10 or 11 a.m. Wednesday.
"We'll see a little bit of dispersion. Air quality will probably still be unhealthy to sensitive people," Holiday said.
The advice is to stay inside, amid a trifecta of struggles.
"Triple-digit heat wave and with COVID and the possibility of the power grid being overwhelmed," Holliday said.
Officials say the masks we wear for COVID do not protect from smoke.
