Planning on setting off fireworks July 4th? Read this. before you do!

Another Fourth of July approaches and many of us will be going to fireworks displays and/or setting them off in our own backyards or neighborhoods.

Photo Credit: SJVAPCD

When most people think of the dangers of fireworks (if they bother to think of them at all), they may worry about setting wood shingled roofs on fire or hurting other people by burning them or exploding firecrackers too close to somebody.

But did you realize that July 4ths are typically one of the worst days of the year for air pollution, particularly for particulate matter (PM2.5)?

Local air pollution control district officials would like to remind everyone that fireworks release high levels of PM2.5, smoke, soot, ash, and toxic metals that can adversely affect public health as well as air quality.

These emissions can be especially harmful to children, older adults, and people with asthma or other respiratory illnesses, in addition to physical injuries, fires, excessive noise, and stress for pets and wildlife.

As shown by the above graph, air monitoring stations record very sharp PM2.5 increase spikes that are directly linked to fireworks activity, sometimes four to five times higher than federal health-based standards.

“As families gather to celebrate, we encourage Valley residents to do so responsibly and consider the impacts personal fireworks can have on air quality and public health,” said Jaime Holt, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Chief Communications Officer. "Fireworks activity can lead to significant increases in particle pollution, affecting air quality throughout the Valley and making it difficult for some residents to breathe.”

The SJVAPCD has published a graphic that starkly shows the dangers of fireworks. It can be seen here: Impacts of Fireworks

SJ Valley residents - Is there an air pollution issue that concerns you? Let the SJVAPCD know!

This is directed toward residents of the San Joaquin Valley (the Valley), although it also applies to other California residents when their local air pollution control districts have similar meetings open to the public.

Photo Credit: SJVAPCD

Next month, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (the District) will be holding a virtual Permit Stakeholders Meeting on July 22nd at 1:30 PM. 

Now many people think such meetings only apply to businesses that require permits or are directly impacted by rules and regulations or consultants that work for those companies, however, residents of the Valley are considered to be permit stakeholders as well - their health, jobs, and environment are impacted by what the District does or does not do too!

So, if you have an air pollution concern that you don't think is being handled properly, or, if you simply want to learn more about what the District is doing and plans to do, then you need to register for this virtual meeting. It's free and open to the public.

The agenda for the meeting has yet to be made, but, if you have any topics that you would like the District to consider, then please send an email to Marissa Mak of the District at marissa.mak@valleyair.org.

By doing so, you will get the final agenda emailed to you along with a Zoom link a week prior to the meeting if you'd like to attend.

For further information, you may contact Ms. Mak at 661.392.5605 or check out the District's website at www.valleyair.org.

Warehouse fire in Tracy, CA, triggers Air Alert and Health Caution by SJVAPCD

The San Joaquin Valley Air District has issued an Air Alert and Health Caution today due to a structure fire at a warehouse in Tracy, California. According to news reports, the fire began yesterday around 1 PM and destroyed a massive medical supply facility owned by Medline. The fire then spread across the street to a Fed Ex warehouse storage yard and threatened other facilities nearby, including Home Depot, Amazon, and numerous other warehouses.

Here is a summary of the key details and safety recommendations from the press release:

Smoke Production and Movement

• Current Status: Smoke from the fire is moving southward along the western portion of the San Joaquin Valley.
• Overnight Forecast: Expect smoke to move eastward into the northern and central parts of the valley.
• Affected Areas: Surface smoke impacts are possible across San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and the valley portion of Kern counties. The heaviest impacts will be in areas closest to the fire.

Health Risks & Precautionary Measures

If you can smell smoke or see ash, you are likely being affected by fine particulate matter pollution. To protect yourself, the District recommends:

• Staying indoors as much as possible with windows and doors closed.
• Using indoor air filtration systems to keep the air clean.
• Sensitive Individuals: Children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions should take extra precautions and follow guidance from their medical professionals.

How to Stay Informed

• Air Monitoring: Additional temporary air quality monitors have been set up in coordination with the San Joaquin County OES. Real-time data can be tracked at AirNow.gov.
• Live Feed: A live camera near the fire location is available to view here.
• Local Updates: The latest incident updates are being posted on the San Joaquin County Emergency Services page.
• Mobile Tracking: Residents can download the Valley Air app to track local air quality across up to 10 saved locations.

SJVAPCD releases Annual Report to the Community

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has just released its Annual Report to the Community and it is full of encouraging news to residents of the Valley. According to the report, the San Joaquin Valley showed record clean air improvements, marking 2025 as the cleanest year on record for numerous air quality parameters.

Photo Credit: SJVAPCD

For the first time, every air monitoring site in the District recorded PM2.5 readings below the federal 24-hour standard. Additionally, the District had the lowest number of exceedances of the ozone standard on record. 

As a result of the clean air efforts of the District, residents, businesses, public agencies, farmers, and community organizations, clean air improvements have resulted in more "Good" air quality days and a record low of only 5 "Unhealthy" days across all of the District's counties. As a point of reference, it was only ten years ago that the District experienced over 100 "Unhealthy" days and 20 years ago that the number exceeded 100 "Unhealthy" days - a remarkable improvement of the District's air quality.

According to Samir Sheikh, the District's Executive Director and Air Pollution Control Officer (APCO), "These improvements bring the Valley closer than ever to attaining the remaining federal health-based standards and represents real improvements in the air we breathe and tangible health benefits for the communities we serve."

Free printed copies can be ordered by emailing public.education@valleyair.org or calling (559) 230-6000.

Wildfire smoke and Covid19 Delta variant put Valley residents in a No-Win scenario

Just like many parts of the country, the Covid19 Delta variant is causing an increase in infections and hospitalizations in the San Joaquin Valley - especially among those of you who refuse to get vaccinated against it for whatever illogical reason you may have. 

As if that wasn't enough, wildfires that are still raging throughout California are causing severe air pollution problems in the Valley as well, so much so that the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (APCD) has just issued a Health Caution and an Air Quality Alert because of the harmful smoke from those fires.

As part of that caution, the APCD is recommending that people stay indoors and avoid activities outdoors. The APCD also says that the common cloth and paper masks being used for Covid19 protection may not offer sufficient protection against the particulate matter (PM) present in wildfire smoke.

This puts the average citizen in a quandary - should he/she stay inside or go outside? As you probably know, most health authorities have stressed that being outside offers more protection against Covid19 than being indoors. 

However, the APCD is saying that by going outdoors in this smoky environment, you are putting your health at a greater risk than staying inside.

What do you think? Leave your comments below if you have them. 

P.S. We have some dice if anyone wants to borrow them.

Use RAAN to see how bad the air outside really is

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (APCD) issued an air quality alert for Valley residents yesterday due to smoke from California's wildfires. If you step outside and take a deep breath or just look at the hazy skies, you will quickly understand why. 

If you want to get a little more information on just how bad it really is as measured by ambient air quality monitors, then check out the APCD's Real-time Air Advisor Network (RAAN). By using either a free app or by typing in your zip code at the RAAN website, you can see what the ozone and PM2.5 levels are in your area right now and throughout the day.

Again, because of the risk to your health, the APCD recommends that you avoid strenuous outdoor activities until the skies clear to safer levels.