ASHEBORO N.C. – Smoke from Canadian wildfires is bringing hazing conditions across North Carolina and triggering air quality alerts, again.
The Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection, located in Winston-Salem, has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Fine Particles until midnight on Monday, July 17. Randolph County falls into this area.
As of 3 p.m. PM 2.5 levels, which describes fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are 2.5 micrometers and smaller, were at 123 ppb (parts per billion) at the closest air quality monitoring station to Randolph County. That places the county under a Code Orange alert.
Code ORANGE is Unhealthy for Sensitive groups meaning children, elderly, and those with lung and/or heart ailments need to limit their prolonged outdoor exertion.
People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:
- Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
- Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
- Be active outdoors when air quality is better.