California wildfires have made their presence known in Las Vegas, in their own way.
Thanks to various wildfires currently rampaging through California, other states have had to deal with the repercussions of these fires. Now, officials have warned Las Vegas residents to stay indoors, as wildfires in the Golden State have made the city’s air unhealthy.
Unhealthy Las Vegas Air
According to the National Weather Service, Las Vegas air is now reaching unhealthy levels, which could potentially put some residents in a harmful position.
On Saturday at 5:30 a.m., nearly all of the city’s air quality monitoring stations were at unhealthy levels throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
California Wildfires Are to Blame
Jenn Varian, a National Weather Service meteorologist, explained that smoke from two different California wildfires is mainly to blame for this poor air quality now seen in Las Vegas.
Varian said, “It is smoke from the Trout and Borel fires in California. It should start to clear out later in the morning, but Pahrump will definitely get another round and maybe the northern portions of the valley will see more.”
Smokey Air May Stay in Las Vegas
Though Varian has explained that this smokey air should clear up as the day progresses, she has also stated that poor air quality may stay around for a bit longer. It all depends on wind patterns.
Some wind patterns may actually keep the Las Vegas Valley full of smokey air throughout the rest of Saturday — and possibly into the near future.
Officials Warn Residents to Stay Indoors
Because of this poor air quality, officials have warned Las Vegas residents to try to stay indoors as much as possible during this time period.
Specifically, those who have cardiac disease, respiratory problems, or other medical issues should not spend much time outside during periods of poor air quality. Young children and senior citizens should also stay inside.
Smoke and Excessively Hot Days
This smokey air seen in Las Vegas — all thanks to California’s wildfires — comes as much of the city has seen excessively hot days that have broken various records.
Las Vegas and California have seen heat wave after heat wave. Now, residents must deal with poor air quality, smokey air, and very hot days.
Las Vegas May Return to Normal Temperatures
After seeing weeks of excessively hot days, meteorologists have claimed that Las Vegas temperatures may once again reach normal numbers for the rest of July.
However, they’ve also stated that August could see temperatures rise to the extreme records seen earlier this summer.
California’s Fire Season
California’s wildfire season is ongoing, and various fires have popped up around the state in the past few weeks.
Some of these fires have started naturally, while others have occurred because of people. For example, officials have stated that one massive fire started after someone set off an illegal firework.
California’s Largest Fire
California’s largest active fire at the moment continues to grow, even as firefighters are working to limit its devastation. The fire is threatening thousands of homes, forcing many evacuations.
This massive fire, called the Park Fire, has already led to many officials comparing it to the huge Camp Fire from 2018 which burned down 11,000 homes and killed 85 people.
An Uncontrollable Wildfire
According to California’s fire officials, the Park Fire remains a huge worry, as it hasn’t yet been controlled. On Friday night, it was about 374 square miles — and experts say it will continue to grow.
So far, more than 130 structures have been completely destroyed by this fire. Thousands now remain in danger of also burning down.
A Quickly Growing Fire
Park Fire only ignited on Wednesday — and officials have claimed that one man is to blame for all of this destruction.
The fire took off after a man in Chico pushed a burning car into a gully. This man was able to get away from the scene when he blended in with others fleeing the area.
This Fire Will Only Continue
This huge fire will likely only continue to grow, even as firefighters struggle to rein it in.
This fire — as well as the many other wildfires currently burning in the state — could also continue to impact states around it. Therefore, Las Vegas may continue to struggle with smokey, polluted air in the near future.
