North Shore fires send smoke to Boston, elude some air quality readers
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The smoke from brush fires around Salem wafted over Boston on Monday, puzzling residents who got no indication of it from air quality readings on their phones.
Why it matters: As climate change makes wildfires more likely and severe in the U.S., Massachusetts residents will have to learn to detect the signs and protect themselves.
Catch up quick: Firefighters are battling brush fires across Salem, Peabody and Lynn, sending smoke as far south as Foxborough.
- More than 130 acres of brush have burned since Saturday, NBC Boston reported.
Between the lines: Smoke inhalation can harm people with all sorts of health conditions, from those with asthma and emphysema to heart attack survivors.
- It's especially risky for children, whose lungs are still developing, says Anthony Wexler, director of the Air Quality Research Center at UC Davis.
- Multiple studies show air pollution can hurt lung development.
How it works: The smoke smell caught locals' attention in the morning, as opposed to Monday afternoon, because smoke stays close to the ground after the Sun sets, Wexler says.
- Once the Sun rises, it warms up the ground and mixes low-lying air with cleaner air above, causing the smoke to dissipate as the day progresses.
Yes, but: The smoke didn't show up on some air quality readings, like the ones on iPhones.
- That's because the state and federal governments only have a few air quality monitors in a given community. If a plume of smoke passed through your neighborhood but missed the monitor, the reading will end up lower.
- Commercial air quality readers like Purple Air monitors are inexpensive and more common, so they can give better readings, Wexler notes.
- AirNow, the federal government's service, also has better readings on its smoke and fire map.
What to do: Stay home, even children with sports practice.
- "You have permission to be a couch potato," Wexler said.
- Get an air purifier to reduce indoor pollution.