RIM FIRE: AIR QUALITY UPDATE, September 1, 2013

Air Quality Update, September 1, 2013

Incident: Rim Fire Wildfire
Released: 9 hrs. ago

Yesterday, August 31, 2013
Smoke from the Rim Fire settled into surrounding communities causing air quality impacts in the unhealthy to very unhealthy AQI range for most of the morning. Air quality improved by early afternoon in communities north and west of the fire, as westerly winds began to clear morning smoke inversions. Northwest transport winds gave the communities northeast of the fire, including Reno, Cason City, Markleeville, Minden, and the Lake Tahoe basin a break from smoke impacts. However, this change in winds brought the Yosemite Valley, El Portal, and the San Joaquin Valley higher impacts as the majority of the Rim fire’s smoke moved south.

Sunday, September 1, 2013
Smoke will again have the heaviest impacts to communities in the immediate fire area, such as Groveland, Tuolumne City, Pinecrest, Greeley Hill, Columbia, and Sonora, in the morning hours. Inversions may break a little earlier allowing smoke to begin clearing sooner. Daytime transport winds should be more southwesterly, reducing impacts to the Yosemite Valley, El Portal, and San Joaquin Valley, but likely returning smoke to the Washoe and Carson Valleys, Markleeville, and other communities northeast of the fire.

Long-range outlook
Southwest transport winds will dominate for the next several days. This should keep air quality in the Yosemite Valley and areas south of the fire in the good to moderate range. Areas north and northeast of the fire, including the Lake Tahoe Basin, and Washoe and Carson valleys will see higher impacts. Communities within the immediate fire area will continue to see intense morning smoke.
See Images section of this incident to see the a table of air quality conditions for yesterday and the projected air quality for today, broken out by specific areas.

Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings are derived based on the recommendations found in Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials.

For more information visit:
California Smoke Information Blog: http://northcasmoke.blogspot.com/
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District: http://www.valleyair.org/Home.htm
Mariposa County Air Quality: http://www.mariposacounty.org/index.aspx NID=1356