April 29, 2022 Afternoon Air Quality Alert
Cerro Pelado
Publication Type: News
04/29/2022
An air quality alert has been issued and includes areas impacted by the Cerro Pelado Fire.
WWA Summary for Air Quality Alert Issued by ABQ (weather.gov) Air Quality Alert Message Relayed by National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 218 PM MDT Fri Apr 29 2022 ...AIR QUALITY ALERT... The following message is transmitted at the request of the New Mexico Departments of Health and Environment. * WHAT...Smoke from several large wildfires burning over northern New Mexico will be transported to the southeast through Friday evening with increased potential for surface smoke to drift southward along the Rio Grande Valley during the overnight into Saturday morning. * WHERE...Smoke will continue to significantly impact areas across much of Mora, San Miguel, and southern Colfax counties with elevated impacts extending east and southeast across the High Plains of eastern New Mexico. Impacted communities include Mora, Sapello, Watrous, Wagon Mound, Ocate, and La Cueva. Smoke impacts are also expected along parts of the Rio Grande Valley from near White Rock and Pueblo of Cochiti to Kewa Pueblo, the Pueblo of San Felipe, and Algodones. Reduced visibilities may be encountered along State Road 518 with moderate impacts at times along the I-25 corridor between Wagon Mound and Santa Fe. * WHEN...Remainder of this afternoon through noon MDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Those with conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, and heart disease will be especially vulnerable to impacts from poor air quality, as will adults over age 65, young children, and pregnant women if smoke concentrations become unhealthy. * HEALTH INFORMATION...Remember, your eyes are your best tools to determine if it is safe to be outside. Use the 5-3-1 Method available at https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html. If visibility is: Under 5 miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness. Outdoor activity should be minimized. Around 3 miles, young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness should avoid all outdoor activities. Around 1 mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. People should remain indoors and avoid all outdoor activities including running errands. Unless an evacuation has been issued, stay inside your home, indoor workplace, or in a safe shelter. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting New Mexico and with the wildfire season underway, New Mexicans will need to take extra precautions. Smoke from wildfires may cause people to have more severe reactions if they are infected COVID-19. The best way to protect against the potentially harmful effects of wildfire smoke and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home and create a clean indoor air space. NMDOH offers tips here: https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/IndoorQuality.html and https://cv.nmhealth.org New Mexicans will also need to take steps to keep their homes cool to avoid heat-related illnesses. NMDOH offers tips here: https://nmtracking.org/health/heatstress/Heat.html. For smoke forecast outlooks from the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program please visit: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net.
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