Air quality in Carson City 'very unhealthy' to start the week

Smoke from the Mosquito Fire is "Very Unhealthy" in Carson City to start the work week.

The fire.airnow.gov forecast calls for air quality to remain in the "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" areas through Monday. 

Sunday's increased fire activity combined with westerly winds resulted more smoke in the region.

"Today, the pattern will likely be similar, with more evening smoke east of the fire," forecast says.

The Mosquito Fire, burning in the OxBow Reservoir east of Forest Hill in Placer County, estimated at 46,587 acres and is 10 percent contained.

According to the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District:
"Exposure to elevated PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in smoke) concentrations can result in eye and throat irritation, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, congestion, coughing, impaired lung function and chest pain, especially among sensitive individuals such as the elderly, children, people with asthma, people with heart or lung conditions, pregnant women and anyone who is exercising or working hard outdoors. 

• Minimize outdoor activities even if you are considered healthy;
• Stay indoors with doors and windows closed as much as possible; run the air conditioner on the “recirculate” setting if that is an option;
• People with asthma should follow their personal asthma management plan;
• People with heart disease, respiratory conditions or chronic health issues should stay indoors;
• Contact your doctor if you have any symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or severe fatigue;
• Snug fitting N95 masks are effective in protecting the wearer from smoke particles. Re-use of N95 masks may reduce effectiveness and make breathing more difficult. Surgical and cloth masks are not effective in protecting against smoke damage to the lungs due to the very small particle size."