Start of 2008 Fire Season

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District announced that with the start of the county’s fire season yesterday, residents should be prepared to pay attention to air quality and reduce exposure to smoke and ash in the air in the event of a fire.

Due to changing winds and weather conditions, it is difficult to predict which areas of the county may be most affected by smoke and ash from a fire. The agencies stressed that residents keep the following points in mind during fire season.

Prepare for fire season. Go to the county’s fire department website http://www.sbcfire.com and learn how to protect your home and make a Wildfire Action Plan.
If you smell smoke, be cautious and use common sense to protect your family’s health. Everyone, especially people with heart or lung disease (including asthma), older adults, and children, should limit time spent outdoors, and avoid outdoor exercise.
If you have symptoms of lung or heart disease that may be related to excess smoke exposure, including repeated coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea or unusual fatigue or lightheadedness, call your doctor.

Last year the county experienced several days of extremely poor air quality in certain locations, due to smoke from burning fires— and also to soot and dust stirred up into the air by high winds even after fires were out. The agencies issued several health advisories and precautionary statements during these episodes, and will perform that function again as needed.

Additional information is available at http://www.OurAir.org on this page, and http://www.sbcphd.org.

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