Flagstaff Faces Unprecedented Ozone Advisory Amidst Pocket Fire Smoke
Flagstaff, Arizona, is experiencing an environmental first as state regulators have issued a high ozone pollution advisory for the city due to the effects of the nearby Pocket Fire. This announcement marks a significant development in Flagstaff’s environmental monitoring.
Michael Graves, an air quality meteorologist from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), attributes the increased ozone levels to smoke from the Pocket Fire, which has spread across approximately 15,300 acres south of Flagstaff. The advisory specifically covers Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to Graves, wildfire smoke is a contributing factor among various pollutants, such as emissions from vehicles and industrial activities, that can elevate ozone levels. “We’ve been seeing high ozone levels [for the past] few days, and we can pretty much correlate that it’s related to the smoke in the area, because smoke has been elevated in Flagstaff,” he explains. “Of course, everyone’s going to be different in how they’re impacted by ozone. Typically, the vulnerable population is going to be more impacted by ozone. If you’re a healthy individual, you probably won’t notice the ozone. For Flagstaff, this is our very first ozone high pollution advisory that we’ve ever issued.”
Exposure to high levels of ozone can lead to respiratory issues, particularly affecting individuals with asthma, bronchitis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Residents, especially those in sensitive groups, are advised to limit outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and use air purifiers. Wearing masks outdoors is also recommended.
The air quality website IQAir reports that the level of fine particles in Flagstaff’s air is 1.9 times above the World Health Organization’s guideline as of Tuesday morning.
Graves suggests residents monitor air quality and visibility closely: “If you smell smoke, you’re breathing it in. You can also look at the visibility, if it’s five miles or about visibility, that’s when vulnerable populations will want to start limiting their activities outside, it’s going to be unhealthy for them. Three miles — you’ll want to stay inside, and then one mile or less, everyone’s going to want to stay inside.”
The current weather conditions, characterized by unusual northeasterly winds, are anticipated to sustain the spread of smoke around Flagstaff, although some relief was noted on Tuesday. “We’ve got an unusual weather pattern that’s giving us daily northeasterly winds that are pretty strong for this time of year, and so that’s going to be conditions to allow the fire to grow,” Graves states. “We do expect conditions to be similar, [though] every day is different.”
For ongoing updates on Flagstaff’s ozone levels, visit the ADEQ’s website, which indicates a gradual improvement expected to begin on Thursday. The ADEQ also provides a dedicated page for updates on the smoke impacts of the Pocket Fire.
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