Residents in southwest Riverside County warned about poor air quality from Tenaja Fire
(FOX 11 Los Angeles)
MURRIETA, Calif. - The Tenaja Fire burning in La Cresta near Murrieta has prompted health officials to warn residents in southwest Riverside County about the dangers of smoke and ash.
Officials with the Riverside University Health System-Public Health urge residents to limit outdoor activities.
“Ash and smoke can be hard on anyone to breathe, but especially those with lung disease,” said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer. “Everyone worries about the flames, but smoke can impact you even if you’re miles away from the fire.”
A smoke and ash advisory was issued by Kaiser for portions of Southwest Riverside County, including Murrieta, Temecula and Lake Elsinore areas.
Residents are advised to:
- Avoid any vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion.
- Those with respiratory or heart disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors.
- Windows and doors should be closed.
- Run your air conditioner if you have one and keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside.
- Avoid using a swamp cooler or whole-house fan to prevent bringing additional smoke inside.
- To avoid worsening the health effects of smoke, don’t use indoor or outdoor wood-burning appliances, including fireplaces.
As firefighters continue an aggressive attack on the Tenaja Fire, residents can get more information and updates on air quality at http://www.rivcoph.org/ and http://www.rvcfire.org/Pages/default.aspx.