The Virginia DEQ has issued a Code Red Air Quality Alert for our local area for Friday, with the Air Quality Index in the “Very Unhealthy” range as a result of smoke wafting down from Canadian wildfires.
At this writing, 3:20 p.m. on Friday, the AQI is over 200 in Staunton (203) and Waynesboro (204), and was at 215 in Harrisonburg and 231 in Charlottesville – AQI values over 201 are considered “Very Unhealthy.”
The conditions are forecast to linger into Saturday.
This is particularly dangerous for people with preexisting medical conditions – those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens are encouraged to avoid strenuous outdoor activities or move them indoors, when possible.
If you need to be outdoors, consider wearing a well-fitting N95 mask to help reduce your exposure to air pollutants.
It’s also being advised that people should keep doors, windows and fireplaces shut to reduce fine particle build-up indoors, and it’s recommended that you run your air conditioning on a recirculation setting.
Visit www.airnow.gov or download the app to find the AQI for your area.
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Chris Graham
