When I wrote yesterday's entry, I had not looked outside. Later, when I finally got outside, it was horrendous. Smoke everywhere to the point, visibility was down under a half mile on the roads and the countryside faded into nothingness.It was so bad, people were advised not to be active outside. One of the health clubs in town opened its doors to people so they could exercise without facing breathing issues.
There are several fires outside of town and according to yesterday's newspaper, the high temperatures caused more fires. So far there have been over 600 fires this year. It hasn't been this nasty since 2004 when the forest fires caused the same level of smoke in the air.I had to travel that summer and as I sat in the local International Airport waiting for my flight. The PA system kept repeating the notice that the facility was a smoke free facility and it was filled with smoke due to the intake valves. It was just as smoky and nasty inside as it was outside.
I usually walk 3 to 5 miles a day but in this situation, I won't do it outside. I bought a couple masks to use if it gets worse. The stores are selling out of anything that will eliminate smoke particulates out of the air. I hope it clears up soon.
If you are wondering, this area is heavily forested with a couple types of birch, aspen, and willow. So when fires start, they burn and can burn hot. I think I read the fires have burned over 3 million acres of land so far and there are still some fires burning strong around the city. It may be a while before the smoke goes away.
I just realized that the pictures make my city look like it could be in the Los Angeles area. Same type of smoky look. Geez.
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