Smoke from the massive Wallow Fire in Arizona has made Albuquerque’s air quality the worst it’s ever been, city officials said Tuesday.
And it’s expected to stay that way over the next couple days.
Those particularly susceptible are those with asthma, emphysema, the elderly and very young.
And even those with healthy lungs are being told to limit outdoor exercise.
The density of particles in the air since fires broke out last week is comparable to that of heavy dust storms, but far more prolonged, said Isreal Tavarez, the city’s environmental health manager.
The particles also are much finer than those blown up by dust storms, making them more dangerous because they can penetrate the lungs’ deepest air passages, he said.
Heavy smoke from the Wallow fire in Arizona covers the Downtown area of Albuquerque, as viewed from just above the Cottonwood Mall area Tuesday. (Jim Thompson/Journal)
“This is actually a pretty new experience,” Tavarez said.
In fact, residents were being warned not to run their swamp coolers because they don’t screen the fine particulates.
The city is considering extending the hours of senior centers that have central air-conditioning because older people are susceptible to smoke-induced lung and heart problems.
Albuquerque has experienced heavy smoke from wildfires, but only for a day or two at most, Tavarez said.
“This wildfire has not been contained,” he said. “The existing weather pattern is just ripe for being able to send that smoke directly into Albuquerque and northern New Mexico.”
Todd Shoemake with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque said smoke from the Arizona fires is likely to be around for the next several days as winds from the south and southwest continue to push smoke across the area.
Because the winds tend to dissipate at night, the amount of smoke in the air will increase as midday winds pick up.
As they have for the past few days, winds will continue from the southwest today, peaking at 12 to 15 mph and gusting up to 25 mph throughout the afternoon and early evening.
Forecasters say that pattern will likely repeat at least through Thursday.
“It’s a pretty repetitive pattern,” Shoemake said.
The smoky skies will be evident from Quemado to Santa Fe, he said, with the most dense smoke being between Quemado and Albuquerque. It those areas, visibility could drop to as low as a mile at times.
Most emergency rooms and urgent care clinics in Albuquerque have reported no significant increase in patients complaining of respiratory problems.
A University of New Mexico Hospital physician said Tuesday they are seeing some increase in the number of patients with chronic lung conditions due to the smoke.
“If you have chronic conditions, take your medications as directed,” said Dr. Pope Moseley, a UNMH pulmonary specialist and chairman of the department of internal medicine.
“We’re not seeing people with no lung disease coming in,” Moseley said. The patients most injured by the smoke are those “teetering on the brink” with asthma and chronic bronchitis, he said.
Moseley advised that even healthy people rein in high-intensity exercise.
“There are long-term effects to breathing this stuff in, so limit your exercise,” he said.
Wildfire smoke contains a variety of potentially damaging chemicals that can enter the smallest air passages and damage the lungs, he said.
Dr. Roderick McVeety, medical director of ABQ Health Partners’ urgent care system, said people are heeding warnings that can keep them out of the emergency room.
“I’m very impressed. People are staying indoors,” McVeety said Tuesday. People appear to be are avoiding outdoor exercise, he said. And those with chronic lung diseases such as asthma are using medications as directed.
“The public health system got the word out very quickly to make sure that people stayed indoors,” he said.
McVeety advised people with chronic lung disease to use their peak-flow meters regularly and use medications as required.
“The first thing is to prevent,” he said. “I told a couple patients it’s a good time to go to the mall or a movie.”
The nose, sinuses and a layer of mucus in the lungs collects particulate matter in the air, but heavy smoke can overload the body’s defenses, he said.
“The atmosphere is making everybody a smoker right now,” he said. And if you smoke, now would be the ideal time to quit.
“Control the things you have control over, like smoking,” McVeety said.
Journal staff writer Charles Brunt contributed to this report.
— This article appeared on page A1 of the Albuquerque Journal
Photo Credit – Jim Thompson/Journal
Cutline – Heavy smoke from the Wallow fire in Arizona covers the Downtown area of Albuquerque, as viewed from just above the Cottonwood Mall area Tuesday.
Reprint story -- Email the reporter at olivier@abqjournal.com. Call the reporter at 505-823-3924
