Track air quality conditions, reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke from nearby fires is impacting air quality in Mesa County. Breathing in wildfire smoke can lead to coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and can worsen existing conditions like asthma and heart disease. Mesa County Public Health urges people to use caution when spending time outside.

Certain groups of people are at higher risk for complications from smoke exposure. These include:

• Older adults
• Children and teenagers
• Pregnant people
• People with heart disease, lung disease, or respiratory conditions like asthma.

Stay informed

Residents have multiple ways to track air quality data and information on the updated Air Quality page. The air quality meter from airnow.gov shows a snapshot of conditions in the greater Grand Junction area. You can also access cameras that show real-time conditions throughout Mesa County.

Visit the official website or Facebook page for the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw Fires to learn more about the fires.

What is air quality?

Tracking air quality can help you make informed decisions. We use a measurement system called AQI (air quality index) developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assign a numerical value to the air quality.

This system takes four major air pollutants into account, ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. The higher the AQI, the greater the level of air pollution.

As of this morning, the Air Quality Index is unhealthy. 

Reduce your exposure

Ways to reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke:

• Limit your physical activity when you’re outside.
• Stay indoors when you can.
• Keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering your home.
• If you have an HVAC system with a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode.
• If it's too hot to stay indoors with windows closed and you don't have air conditioning, seek shelter in a public building with air conditioning.
• Use air filters. Learn what types of filters are best to purchase from the Environmental Protection Agency here.
• Limit the use of evaporative coolers.
• Build your own air filter at home. Follow instructions from the UC Davis College of Engineering.
• Create a clean room. Choose a room with minimal windows and doors and use a portable air cleaner or DIY filter to keep the air in this room as clean as possible. Learn more on the EPA website.

See a health care provider if your symptoms get worse, don't go away, or disrupt your daily activities.