Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

9 hours ago

White House Says Trump Not Happy With Russia Strike on Ukraine, to Make Statement Later

11 hours ago

Ford Recalls Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Brake Fluid Leak

11 hours ago

Fresno-Bound Passenger Says Delta Attendant Slapped Him, Seeks $20M

13 hours ago

Israel Steps up Bombardment of Gaza City, Kills 16 People Around Enclave, Medics Say

13 hours ago

Enjoy a Meal at Fresno’s Lazy Dog and Support Valley Crime Stoppers

14 hours ago

How California Lawmakers Can Trim Up to 20% Off Consumer Electric Bills

14 hours ago

Trump Says He May Recommend a Republican National Convention Before 2026 Midterm Elections

14 hours ago

California Republican Leader Calls for ‘Two State Solution’ Amid Redistricting Fight

2 days ago
Bad Air Over the Valley Isn't Just the Tule Fog. How to Protect Your Health.
NANCY WEBSITE HEADSHOT 1
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 9 months ago on
December 9, 2024

Bad air levels are soaring in the Valley due to a number of factors including stagnant air and wood burning. (GV Wire/Paul Marshall)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The same high-pressure system that’s been parked for days over the Valley trapping the tule fog and making our days dismally gray is also trapping a lot of teeny particles that are causing problems — especially for those of us who are prone to bronchitis or asthma.

And it doesn’t show signs of going away anytime soon.

Last week, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued an air quality advisory to warn residents to be extra-vigilant about checking on no-burn days, staying indoors as much as possible, especially at night when the particulate levels soar, and reducing vehicle emissions.

PM2.5 emissions are 30 times narrower than a human hair and can get into the bloodstream when inhaled into the lungs. Levels in the Valley have been going up at night when temperatures cool and the high-pressure system parked overhead presses downward, squishing the layer of polluted air and making it denser with particulates, said Jaime Holt, spokeswoman for the air district.

The particulate-laden air that has been trapped inside the giant bowl that is the Valley will remain until windy weather arrives to blow it out.

If you’re uncertain about the air quality in your neighborhood, you can download the Valley Air District app that includes hourly updates each day of pollution levels by your location, recommendations for curtailing outdoor activities, as well as the day’s burn status.

What You Can Do

The air district suggests a number of things that Valley residents can do, and some things they SHOULD do, to limit exposure and also lower particulate levels:

  • If you can stay indoors, do it. Keep your interior air as clean as possible by not frying anything on the stove and save those unlit Christmas candles for later this month.
  • You can create a clean air room, with sealed windows and an air purifier. Make sure to keep the filters of your home HVAC and air purifiers clean.
  • If you must go out, consider wearing a K95 face mask (like the ones many of us wore during the pandemic), and try to limit your driving to only absolutely essential trips — and don’t sit somewhere with your gas-powered engine idling.
  • And definitely don’t burn a wood fire in your fireplace or your backyard fire pit unless the air district lifts the “no-burn” status that’s in effect for Fresno and Madera counties and part of Kern County. Residents of Kings and Tulare counties may burn only in registered wood-burning devices, but burning is not recommended.

44 No Burn Violators Cited

The air district has already written 44 tickets for violators of “no-burn” days through last week, Holt said. The fines start at $100 and climb with each successive ticket, she said.

“What we tell folks with our wood-burning device program is the first folks that are going to be impacted by the smoke that’s coming out of your wood-burning fireplace or stove, that’s going to be you, your family and your neighbors. So don’t burn wood.

“If you have an older vehicle, get that vehicle in, get it tuned up. The older fleet here in the Valley, those vehicles that are 15 years and older really tend to be pretty dirty on the roads. Get those vehicles tuned up.”

Residents also should curtail activities that kick up dust, such as lawn care or agricultural processes, she said.

‘Pollution Burden’ Due to Many Sources

The PM2.5 levels aren’t just the result of wood smoke, Holt said.

“Nitrogen oxide, which comes from any type of combustion, is forming what we call secondary PM in the atmosphere right now,” she said. “And that is when we have these conditions, it’s cold and moist, there’s not a lot of sunshine. And that secondary PM is basically a chemical reaction that creates the pollution as opposed to the PM that’s coming off the smoke from the chimney.

“So, wood smoke and wood-burning is a part of this, but it is not the only part. So we definitely want to understand that this is fairly complex and there’s lots of different kinds of parts to this pollution burden that we’re seeing right now.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump Signs Order to End Collective Bargaining With Some Federal Unions

DON'T MISS

Feds Add Third Charge for Bobby Salazar. Restaurant Owner Denies Them All in Court.

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Garnet Fire Triggers New Evacuation Warnings as Blaze Grows

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Detain Suspect After Report of Possible Gun at Elementary School

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused in $30,000 Courier Scam

DON'T MISS

Who Did Fresno Unified Hire to Succeed Nikki Henry as Communications Chief?

DON'T MISS

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

DON'T MISS

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Employee With Cancer Alleges District Brass Conspired in Failed Try to Force Resignation

DON'T MISS

Oil Settles Higher as Traders Await Trump Statement on Russia-Ukraine

UP NEXT

Feds Add Third Charge for Bobby Salazar. Restaurant Owner Denies Them All in Court.

UP NEXT

Fresno County Garnet Fire Triggers New Evacuation Warnings as Blaze Grows

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Detain Suspect After Report of Possible Gun at Elementary School

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused in $30,000 Courier Scam

UP NEXT

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

UP NEXT

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

UP NEXT

Fresno Unified Employee With Cancer Alleges District Brass Conspired in Failed Try to Force Resignation

UP NEXT

Oil Settles Higher as Traders Await Trump Statement on Russia-Ukraine

UP NEXT

White House Says Trump Not Happy With Russia Strike on Ukraine, to Make Statement Later

UP NEXT

49ers Sign Former Clovis West Star as Their Third QB

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Fresno Police Detain Suspect After Report of Possible Gun at Elementary School

8 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused in $30,000 Courier Scam

9 hours ago

Who Did Fresno Unified Hire to Succeed Nikki Henry as Communications Chief?

9 hours ago

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

9 hours ago

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

9 hours ago

Fresno Unified Employee With Cancer Alleges District Brass Conspired in Failed Try to Force Resignation

9 hours ago

Oil Settles Higher as Traders Await Trump Statement on Russia-Ukraine

9 hours ago

White House Says Trump Not Happy With Russia Strike on Ukraine, to Make Statement Later

11 hours ago

49ers Sign Former Clovis West Star as Their Third QB

11 hours ago

Ford Recalls Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Brake Fluid Leak

11 hours ago

Trump Signs Order to End Collective Bargaining With Some Federal Unions

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to end collective bargaining with federal unions in some agencies that have ...

6 hours ago

President Donald Trump reacts during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
6 hours ago

Trump Signs Order to End Collective Bargaining With Some Federal Unions

Bobby Salazar's restaurant Blackstone fresno court
7 hours ago

Feds Add Third Charge for Bobby Salazar. Restaurant Owner Denies Them All in Court.

The Garnet Fire has burned nearly 14,000 acres in the Sierra National Forest with no containment, prompting new evacuation warnings and a state of emergency in Fresno County. (Fresno County SO)
8 hours ago

Fresno County Garnet Fire Triggers New Evacuation Warnings as Blaze Grows

8 hours ago

Fresno Police Detain Suspect After Report of Possible Gun at Elementary School

9 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused in $30,000 Courier Scam

Fresno Unified Chief Information Officer Adela Garcia Duncan
9 hours ago

Who Did Fresno Unified Hire to Succeed Nikki Henry as Communications Chief?

Mourners visit a memorial near the Annunciation Church, which is a home to an elementary school and was the scene of a shooting the day before, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. August 28, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

President Donald Trump attends a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend