Wildfires prompt ozone advisory

Local air quality officials issued an ozone advisory late Thursday, warning that smoke from wildfires in California might trigger a buildup of the smog-forming compound today in Southern Nevada.

Ground-level ozone, which is a key component of urban smog, can reduce lung function and complicate respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis.

"When ozone levels are elevated, everyone should limit strenuous outdoor activity, especially people with asthma and other respiratory diseases," the advisory reads. "Exposure to ozone also can induce coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath even in healthy people."