Air Quality update November 2018

Air Quality Update

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

I was all set with my Thanksgiving topic on how to deal with turkey leftovers and general food safety, but all the calls I have gotten in the office today prompted me to add a bit of focus on the air.

What would make us all jump for joy is a bit of rain. For those of you not in the Bay Area, go outside and take a deep breath of air for all of us. Today our air quality moved into the purple range. Very unhealthy for everyone. If you are traveling, I would think hard before returning home until things start to clear.

Air Quality index

It is Horrid. It is eerie. It is scary. It is claustrophobic. As bad as it is for us with our scratchy throats, tight lungs and irritated eyes, my heart goes out to all those thousands of people who have lost loved ones, homes and are even closer to the fire. This feels even worse than last October, and those fires were weren't even as far away.

What can we do to deal with this smoke?

• Stay indoors as much as possible!

• If kids are stir crazy, consider a mall like Stonestown (especially if you can park underneath and avoid walking outdoors) Consider creating an indoor activity there like a scavenger hunt or bring a pad of paper and colored pencils; practice drawing

• Sometimes we just need to turn on the tv or watch some videos on our ipads. Do what you need to do to get through this smokey period. As long as you control it and use tech time as a tool it's okay to make some exceptions and allow a little more than you might in normal circumstances. Your sanity counts for something.

• If you are outside wear an N95 or N100 mask. There are cute children's ones available on Amazon.

• After two years in a row, I fear that this seems like the new normal. I suggest ordering some extra N95 masks to keep on hand so that you are always prepared.

• Avoid ANY strenuous activity.

• If you have a HEPA filter keep it running.

• If you are in your car, keep the air on recirculate.

• Avoid adding to indoor pollution. Don't light candles or vacuum. No Smoking!!! DUH

• Pets shouldn't be exposed to the smoke any more than we should. ( I know, try explaining that to them!)Toss the ball a little bit more indoors, but limit their outdoor time as much as possible.

• Be aware that food delivery services are being impacted. Today, many of the couriers were not delivering due to safety concerns. Plan ahead with your meals.

Smoke is bad enough, but if we are ever in the situation that we need to be dealing with actual fire, I am sharing this essential information from a friend of mine who lives in Santa Barbara and has been through this a number of times.

Home Evacuation Checklist – How to Prepare for Evacuation:

Inside the House

• Shut all windows and doors, leaving them unlocked.
• unlatch the garage door
• Remove flammable window shades, curtains and close metal shutters.
• Remove lightweight curtains.
• Move flammable furniture to the center of the room, away from windows and doors.
• Shut off gas at the meter; turn off pilot lights.
• Leave your lights on so firefighters can see your house under smoky conditions.
• Shut off the air conditioning

Outside

• Gather up flammable items from the exterior of the house and bring them inside (patio furniture, children’s toys, door mats, trash cans, etc.) or place them in your pool.
• Turn off propane tanks.
• Move propane BBQ appliances away from structures.
• Connect garden hoses to outside water valves or spigots for use by firefighters. Fill water buckets and place them around the house.
• Don’t leave sprinklers on or water running, they can affect critical water pressure.
• Leave exterior lights on so your home is visible to firefighters in the smoke or darkness of night.
• Put your Emergency Supply Kit in your vehicle.
• Back your car into the driveway with vehicle loaded and all doors and windows closed. Carry your car keys with you.
• Have a ladder available and place it at the corner of the house for firefighters to quickly access your roof.
• Seal attic and ground vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals.
• Patrol your property and monitor the fire situation. Don’t wait for an evacuation order if you feel threatened.
• Check on neighbors and make sure they are preparing to leave.