Air Quality Officials Warn Shasta Residents of Wildfire Smoke Impacts
The Green Fire burning in Shasta County could cause dangerous smoke particles to travel into populated areas. Here’s what you need to know.
The Shasta County Air Quality Management District is urging Shasta residents to be cautious of potential smoke impacts today, July 7, due to the Green Fire burning just north of Shasta Lake.
The fire started on July 1, and 1,154 acres have been burned so far, according to Cal Fire. The California Interagency Incident Management Team 10 is currently managing the fire.
The Air Quality District said in a press release that winds could facilitate wildfire smoke into populated areas of Shasta County, and that some areas may experience higher concentrations of smoke, including Bella Vista, Palo Cedro, Shingletown, Round Mountain and Big Bend.
Those with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women and children are especially advised to be cautious and reduce or avoid outdoor exertion when wildfire smoke is in the area. The district said all residents should limit exposure by reducing exercise and outdoor activities, remaining indoors with windows and doors closed and turning on air conditioners with a recirculation setting.
As noted in Shasta Scout’s earlier reporting, the ability to see or smell smoke is not a good indicator of whether toxic particles are in the air. Wildfire smoke particles, which can be measured in microns, are small enough to penetrate deep into lungs. Research shows wildfire smoke can irritate eyes and airways, worsen asthma and contribute to cardiac events and strokes, as well as decrease the body’s ability to fight bacteria and viruses in the lungs. Wildfires may also increase toxic metals in the air, such as lead and zinc.
Experts recommend the Environmental Protection Agency’s site AirNow for air quality monitoring. The EPA’s Fire & Smoke Map can also be used to detect air quality smoke impacts and Air Quality Index information.
Madison Holcomb is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She’s reporting for Shasta Scout as a 2025 summer intern with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
Through December 31, NewsMatch is matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $18,000, giving us the chance to double that amount for local journalism in Shasta County. Don't wait — the time to give is now!
Support Scout, and multiply your gift
Comments (1)
Comments are closed.
Related Articles
Emergency supplies available for Redding residents as flood impacts continue
City officials have not yet announced how many residents and businesses are believed to have been impacted by the flooding, which they say occurred as a result of clogs in stormwater drain systems brought on by a high volume rain falling in Redding over a short period of time.
A group of community members are hoping to start a new medical school in Shasta. Here’s what we know
Redding Vice Mayor Dr. Paul Dhanuka and Simpson University President Dr. Norm Hall are some of the leading figures behind the plan.
With more rain ahead, Redding officials explain flooding, urge caution
This weekend, the city’s stormwater infrastructure became clogged with debris due to the speed and volume of rain, officials said, leading to serious flooding in parts of Redding.
It is a scientific fact that wildfires, natural or man-made, along with volcano eruption causes more damage to the atmosphere then all the combustible engines since their inception combined! Well, I can certainly appreciate the governmental decree, it has been 10 times worse in the past 10 years. One has to applaud the first responders this year for sure. They are jumping all over these pop-ups.