Air quality advisory issued for Clark County due to California, Arizona wildfires

The Clark County Air Quality Department issued an air quality advisory for Wednesday through Monday for potentially elevated levels of ozone and smoke because of California and Arizona wildfires.

More wildfires broke out in Southern California on Monday causing columns of smoke to rise from the San Gabriel Mountains. Firefighters are still battling a fire in the coastal mountains of Santa Barbara.

A fire in eastern Arizona engulfed more than 42,000 acres by Wednesday morning and the smoke is affecting the air in Las Vegas.

“Smoke is made of small dust particles and other pollutants that can aggravate respiratory diseases and contribute to ground-level ozone formation,” department officials said.

People with sensitivities to the elevated levels of ozone and fine particles include children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory problems or cardiac disease. The department advises people in these categories to stay indoors.

The department also suggests limiting outdoor exertion, keeping windows closed, running the air conditioning in homes and cars, and changing air filters.

At ground level, ozone is a key ingredient of urban smog during the hottest months of the year in Clark County, according to the department.

The Las Vegas Valley has an excessive heat warning in effect that expires at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.