Smoky Fires Threaten Calif. Health

Hundred Of Wildfires Turn California Air Into Unhealthy Stew Of Smoke, Ash

(AP)  Hundreds of lightning-sparked wildfires have turned the air of Northern California into an unhealthy stew of smoke and ash, forcing the cancellation of athletic events and other outdoor activities.

Health advisories urging residents to stay indoors to limit exposure to the smokey air were issued Saturday from Bakersfield north to Redding, a distance of nearly 450 miles.

Air pollution readings in the region are two to 10 times the federal standard for clean air, said Dimitri Stanich, spokesman for the California Air Resources Board.

Some areas are experiencing the worst air quality on record, with the smoke hanging down to the ground like a fog.

Air quality agencies are especially concerned about small-particle pollution. The tiniest particles can penetrate past the body's immune defenses, traveling deep into the lungs and the bloodstream.

"When you have it on the scale we are seeing now, it is very dangerous to the general public health," Stanich said. "This is a very serious problem."

Changing weather brought smoke-clearing breezes and brief relief to some areas Saturday, but it could also bring lightning storms similar to the ones that ignited fires across Northern California a week ago.

Thunderstorms could strike anywhere in the northern Sierra Nevada or the northern Central Valley on Saturday night, said National Weather Service forecaster Johnnie Powell in Sacramento.

The thunderstorms could also bring a small amount of much-needed rain, he said. The front was expected to pass by Sunday, setting up a second week of abysmal air quality.

The renewed threat of dry lightning and stiffer breezes that could stir the wildfires led fire officials to declare a "red flag warning" - meaning the most extreme fire danger - until 5 a.m. Monday for Northern California.

On Saturday, President Bush issued an emergency declaration for California and ordered federal agencies to assist in firefighting efforts in many areas. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had made the request on Friday.

More than 17,000 firefighters, 1,500 fire engines and bulldozers, and more than 80 helicopters and aircraft were fighting more than 1,000 fires Saturday, said state emergency services spokesman Kelly Huston.

"The summer has just begun, and fire conditions will only get tougher," Ruben Grijalva, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, warned in a weekly radio address on behalf of the governor.

The fires have destroyed 47 structures and injured 85 people and continue to threaten nearly 10,000 homes, businesses and buildings, according to his department.

A lightning-sparked wildfire in the Big Sur region of the Los Padres National Forest has burned 42 square miles and destroyed 16 homes. The blaze, which was only 3 percent contained, has forced the closure of a 12-mile stretch of coastal Highway 1 and driven away visitors at the peak of the tourist season.

Farther south in the forest, a wildfire that started three weeks ago has scorched 92 square miles of remote wilderness. It was 80 percent contained Saturday.

Stanich, of the Air Resources Board, advised people to stay inside and keep activity to a minimum. Children, the elderly and people with heart and lung problems are particularly vulnerable, but pollution levels are high enough to affect healthy adults.

Health officials have reported an increase in people complaining of eye and throat irritation and coughing. The poor air can also trigger asthma attacks and bronchitis.

Some veterinary offices said pet owners were bringing in dogs and cats with symptoms ranging from weepy eyes and irritated skin to difficulty breathing or unusual lethargy. Vets were advising that pets remain inside until the smoke clears.

Smoky air canceled this weekend's 100-mile Western States Endurance Run for the first time in its 31-year history. The decision disappointed 370 runners who had traveled from as far away as Africa for the annual race from Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe to Auburn in the Sierra foothills.

In Sonoma County, the limited visibility kept the Energizer Bunny and dozens of other colorful hot air balloons from lifting off during Saturday's Hot Air Balloon Classic in Windsor.

Cities also closed public pools, canceled softball games and called off July Fourth fireworks displays. Schwarzenegger urged residents not to buy fireworks this year and said local governments should consider an outright ban, though he would not impose one statewide.

In central New Mexico, a blaze caused by lightning that forced the evacuation of 400 people was 35 percent contained. Thunderstorms were forecast, and firefighters welcomed the possibility of rain but feared that winds could change the fire's direction.

In Arizona, an effort to stop a blaze in the Phoenix suburb of Laveen failed Saturday, forcing the evacuation of residents of 16 homes near the brush-choked Gila River bed. The fire has almost doubled in size in a day and consumed nearly 8 square miles, officials said.

[martublade]

http://niconotnow.blogspot.com/

[coppertales]

I bet Al Gore is making a killing selling California carbon credits over this.

[displeased]

EndTimes22, you''re a funny dude. So according to your logic, god punished or rewards people with weather conditions everyday. Thanks for the laugh!

[rushman71]

Yup....and Californians thought the second hand cigarette smoke was gonna kill them.
Posted by GrammaWhamma

You beat me to it!!!
Anyway, knowing that the ignorant and the mentally tolerant people of Cali will still blame cigarettes for the cancer they get even though it was caused by the horrendous fires all over the state.

I''m going back to Cali, Cali, Cali,
I''m going back to Cali.....I don''t think so.....

[juwboy]

EndTimes22:

To people in L.A., San Francisco is Northern California.

To people in San Francisco, Northern California is north of a line connecting Eureka to Redding.

[hbevis]

omega39
YOU MUST BE FROM SAN FRANSISCO...?

[omega39-2009]

He was on earth 2,000 years ago, His name is Jesus Christ. Hardly unseen. Not to mention the fact that if you''''re dumb enough to believe that this earth, and all intelligent life just sprang into existence by pure chance and mere accident billions of years ago, then it''''s no wonder that you''''ll believe anything else man comes up with.


Posted by EndTimes22

Oh no! some guy named Jesus walked the earth 2000 years ago, well now I''m convinced (not). Shouldn''t you be over on e-bay bidding on the piece of french toast that looks like the virgin Mary instead of boring us with your fairy tales?

[sparks224]

"God is trying to tell you something California. Time to wake up!"
Posted by EndTimes22

What is God trying to tell Iowa?

[petro49l]

California should receive immediate attention from FEMA for disaster relief. The State should be examined for practical fire safety. There is no reason to lose so much valuable forest. Residents could be moved from high frequency areas and fire lanes must be established. FEMA has resisted planning efforts for many years.

[grammawhamma]

Yup....and Californians thought the second hand cigarette smoke was gonna kill them.

[sistatee-2009]

Gonna have to plant a lotta pine trees to offset this carbon footprint!

[lloydbest1]

Some pontificate about God''s Judgement while your ol'' buddy Lloyd took a different path:
I mailed in a check to the American Red Cross, Shasta County Chapter to help defray some of the costs involved in helping those who have been displaced as a result of the fires. The area around Redding as well as Big Sur have been particularly hard hit. A meager contribution by each of a large number of people can make a tremendous difference to the lives of those most affected. My check was an almost embarrasingly small amount but I don''t have a lot of resource anyway - but the point is, if lots of people send in something (doesn''t have to be much and it doesn''t have to be to the Red Cross, either, there are other relief organizations out there) the cumulative effort can help a lot.
I am aware of the "Wrath of God" component of this whole mess but northern California is one of the most conservative, family oriented regions of the state. I used to live there so I do not speak from ignorance. The idea that it is O.K. to rain sparks on the just as well as the unjust simply doesn''t fly with me.

[linfinster]

Is it too much to ask God for a messenger that can spell ''''Sodom'''' and ''''Gomorrah''''?

Posted by ubrew12 at 11:17 PM : Jun 28, 2008

?? is that all you have to say?? My, my, my aren''t you a snobby one. And very unforgiving and haughty. The letter that was missing from the sentence was only one key placement to the right of the correct letter -clearly a simple typing error. Get over yourself. We are all imperfect.

[omega39-2009]

I find it interesting that the same idiots that dismiss man made climate change as "fuzzy science", will turn around and blame an unseen, all powerful being that must be taken on "faith".

[caliengineer]

The Chinese & Russians are in line... but there will be some big quakes and a water event first.

[caliengineer]

mcv57: You are correct. It is time to go. I have been here a few years and have wondered about when I should leave America.
California is part of the United States. This entire place, "Mystery Babylon the Great" is going to receive Judgment.

Youtube has some interesting prophecy videos about california...

[ubrew12]

mcv57 said: "This is considered a most merciful warning from God: Get out of Sidom and Gomorah!"

Is it too much to ask God for a messenger that can spell ''Sodom'' and ''Gomorrah''?

[mcv57]

This is considered a most merciful warning from God: Get out of Sidom and Gomorah!