Williams Fire Smoke from San Gabriels Not a Concern for Redlands-Loma Linda

Smoke from the still-smoldering Williams Fire in the East Fork of San Gabriel Canyon may still be visible on occasion from Redlands and Loma Linda, but there is no concern for air quality in the San Bernardino Valley, the county health officer said Thursday.

The smoke is drifting northeast from the San Gabriel Mountains, and the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District has issued an Air Watch for the Phelan and Hesperia area, Public Health Officer Maxwell Ohikhuare said in a phone interview.

Infants, children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with lung or heart disease are at greater risk from smoke if it drifts into their communities, said Ohikhuare, who is a Redlands resident.

The Williams Fire started Sunday Sept. 2 in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa, and prompted campground evacuations in an area that can get up to 12,000 visitors on a typical Labor Day Weekend.

, and used the Forest Service air base in San Bernardino to refuel and take on retardant to help fight the fire earlier this week.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Williams Fire burned area was estimated at 4,180 acres, and the fire was considered more than 40 percent surrounded by cleared fire lines, according to the Forest Service.

More than 1,100 personnel were assigned to the fire, and full containment was hoped for by Sept. 13. Campgrounds, San Gabriel Canyon, and Highway 39 remained closed.

Ohikhuare advised that breathing smoke from outdoor fires can cause:

·         Coughing, or scratchy throat

·         Irritated sinuses

·         Shortness of breath

·         Chest pain

·         Headaches

·         Stinging eyes

·         Runny nose

·         Flare up of asthma symptoms

For more information on wildfires visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires.

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