Smoke Advisory Issued As 4 Wildfires Burn In Los Angeles, Riverside Counties
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — With four wildfires burning in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, a smoke advisory was issued Friday by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The largest of the fires burning in Southern California is the Saddle Ridge Fire, burning near Sylmar, Granada Hills and Porter Ranch. The blaze is zero percent contained and has burned 4,700 acres.
SCAQMD officials say the fire has caused unhealthy air in portions of the San Fernando Valley, Topanga and Malibu. The smoky air has prompted the Los Angeles Unified School District to put schools in areas like Reseda and Woodland Hills on minimum day schedules, even if they are not within the communities directly affected by the Saddle Ridge Fire.
If the fire continues to generate smoke Friday night into Saturday morning, smoke could further impact the San Fernando Valley, Calabasas, and Malibu, where city officials are handing out free respiratory masks at City Hall and Bluffs Park.
Three fires burning in Riverside County have burned a combined 1,300 acres. Gusty winds continue to hamper firefighting efforts, but are also likely helping to disperse smoke and ash. But if the fires continue generating smoke into Saturday, it could worsen the air quality in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
People with existing health issues like asthma or heart disease are most vulnerable to the increase of smoke and ash in the air, but it can also affect those with no preexisting conditions, said Dr. Kirsten Mewaldt of Dignity Health Northridge.
"I think everyone is probably feeling a little off today," Mewaldt said. "I know my lungs feel tight just breathing in the air that we have today. But for someone who has a history of asthma, COPD, heart disease, they should just pay very close attention to their symptoms."
