Overview
- The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an advisory in place from 5 p.m. July 4 until 3 p.m. July 5 that warns the Air Quality Index could reach the hazardous category in parts of southern Los Angeles County and northern Orange County.
- Officials forecast hazardous particle pollution Saturday evening for downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley and northern Orange County with plumes expected to move into Riverside and San Bernardino counties on Sunday.
- Fireworks release fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) and metallic compounds that can trigger coughing, asthma attacks, reduced lung function and raise the risk of cardiovascular events, especially for people with heart or lung disease.
- Residents are urged to limit outdoor time, keep windows and doors closed, run closed-system air conditioning or use portable air purifiers, avoid swamp coolers and whole-house fans that draw in outdoor air, and skip strenuous outdoor exercise during peak smoke.
- Visibility may drop overnight in Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire where humidity is high, and inland communities should expect pollution to linger longer until winds disperse the smoke.