As of 3 a.m. Friday, May 23, Sedona has experienced “Very Unhealthy” air quality. For more information on air quality go to www.YavapaiHealth.com
Anyone who can see, taste or smell smoke should limit outdoor activity. People with heart disease, lung disease or asthma should avoid the outdoors entirely, as should children and the elderly.
Typical symptoms of exposure to smoke include burning eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, headaches, dizziness and nausea. If you start to feel sick or faint, contact your doctor immediately.
Smoke from the Slide Fire continues to travel north toward Flagstaff and is not yet at levels in populated areas of Yavapai County that might cause harm. As long as you can still see things that are 5 to 10 miles away, you can be reasonably sure you won’t have a medical emergency caused by smoke inhalation. Conditions are being monitored and communities will be alerted as needed.
At night, the falling air temperatures tend to cause smoke to move to lower elevations. Communities near the fire may be affected by poor air quality and residents are advised to stay tuned to radios and scanners for alerts.
Local weather stations are reporting a possible change in the weather over the next few days that could reverse the direction of the wind. For residents of Sedona and the Verde Valley it is recommended that you pay attention to local air quality reports and take appropriate precautions – local news is the best resource.
Residents can help their communities by checking on neighbors, especially if the neighbor lives alone, is elderly or may have heart or lung disease. We recommend that you limit your time outside and avoid exercising outdoors as much as possible.
For up-to-date information on the Slide Fire, go to http://www.azein.gov/
