Hey? Where is this Wildfire Smoke Coming From?
Well, the answer is… a few places. There is the Tamarack fire near Markleeville or the River fire near Sacramento. But, for the most part the major culprit being the Dixie fire in Northern California. The Dixie fire was caused by a lightning strike and as of Friday afternoon has become the single biggest wildfire in California history. It has burned 432,813 acres and was just 35 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. A shift in the winds has caused our area to be heavily clouded in wildfire smoke.
***UPDATE*** The Dixie fire, as of Aug 9, has burned 434,000 acres and has dropped to 21% contained.
As of 7pm August 6th, Bishop’s air quality was listed as 157 which is in the red and listed as “Unhealthy. Mammoth Lakes was a bit worse of with an AQ of
175. Also listed as Unhealthy.
All of Inyo and Mono counties can see the smoke in the air and should try to avoid outdoor activities for a few days until the wind shifts or the fires get more under control.
For more on the Dixie fire and air quality see, https://www.airnow.gov/
Jesse is a media content creator and film maker from the Eastern Sierra.
