I could never stay long enough on the shore; the tang of the untainted, fresh, and free sea air was like a cool, quieting thought.

~ Helen Keller

A breath of fresh air … clearly a much-needed and priceless element as summer turns to autumn. Day after day the air quality has been affected by heavy smoke and ash from the nearby wildfires. To make those nearly intolerable conditions even worse, record high temperatures have blasted much of Los Angeles County. With summer now past and the calendar page flipped to October, there is an expectation of cooler days under clear blue skies … right?

During these days of heat and smoke, at least once a week my husband and I (and Brighton) find respite – an escape to the beach. Driving the 126 through the orange and avocado orchards, the temperature often drops from near 100 degrees to the 70s. Yes, after a good dose of cool sea breezes and a sunset, comfort and a sense of “all is right with the world” return. Until next week …

On most days, our home provides a refuge, sheltering us from the elements. Let the winds blow, rains fall and temperatures drop. A good roof and insulation do the job. But one thing our homes fail miserably at is maintaining clean and healthy indoor air, especially during wildfire smoke events. Studies find in our homes and other buildings without air filtration systems the indoor air quality mirrors the outdoor air quality. Our living spaces are more permeable than we might think.

So, what is sneaking into our homes and other frequented structures? Wildfires burn wood, trees and chaparral, dry grasses and other organic material; the smoke created contains gases and fine particles. These fine particles are smaller than 10 microns; for comparison, the diameter of a human hair is 40-to-50 microns. These are a serious health threat when breathed into the lungs. They can act as respiratory tract irritants and smaller particles may even penetrate deeper into the bloodstream and cause widespread inflammation. Children and people with lung or heart conditions are particularly vulnerable. Good air is vital for good health.

A concerning fact is the tiniest of particles are often the most dangerous. A blue sky and seemingly clear air are no guarantee or indicator of good breathing air. Now what? We are already living in semi-hermit circumstances. It is a complex problem with a simple answer: a home filtration system. You might have one but don’t know it. It’s part of the a/c. Prompted by the recent fires we checked ours. It was filthy and needed replacing. Every one to three months is recommended. It seems you get what you pay for as the thickest and most costly are the best. Also available are portable and very effective home filtration systems.

It’s going to be H-O-T through the weekend. Monday and through next week, an onshore flow drifts inland with its morning and night low clouds/fog. With it comes improved firefighting conditions and a “breath of fresh air.”

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley
resident and Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue Kilpatrick