Note: The animation above shows how you can use the images to your right in your weathercast to show the smoke transport.  Save the still images to your right at the appropriate resolution for your system (either 720x486 or 640x480) and dissolve from one to another in sequence to achieve the above effect.

TIPS FOR YOUR VIEWERS:

Place this link on your website and mention it on-air:

EPA Brochure - How Smoke from Fires may Affect your Health

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/smoke2/smokecover.html  

How to tell if smoke is affecting you

 Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, stinging eyes or a runny nose. If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse.

People with heart disease might experience chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, or fatigue. People with lung disease may not be able to breathe as deeply or as vigorously as usual, and they may experience symptoms such as coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing and shortness of breath.

When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms.

Protect yourself:

Pay attention to local air quality reports. Stay alert to any news coverage or health warnings related to smoke. Also find out if your community reports EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI, based on data from local air quality monitors, tells you about the daily air quality in your area and recommends precautions you can take to protect your health. As smoke gets worse, the concentration of particles in the air changes — and so do the steps you should take to protect yourself.

Use common sense. If it looks smoky outside, it's probably not a good time to mow the lawn or go for a run. And it's probably not a good time for your children to play outdoors.

If you are advised to stay indoors, take steps to keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep your windows and doors closed — unless it's extremely hot outside. Run your air conditioner, if you have one. Keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside. Note: If you don't have an air conditioner, staying inside with the windows closed may be dangerous in extremely hot weather. In these cases, seek alternative shelter.

Help keep particle levels inside lower. When smoke levels are high, try to avoid using anything that burns, such as wood fireplaces, gas logs, gas stoves — and even candles! Don’t vacuum. That stirs up particles already inside your home. And don't smoke. That puts even more pollution in your lungs, and in the lungs of people around you.

Dust masks aren’t enough! 

Paper "comfort" or "dust" masks — the kinds you commonly can buy at the hardware store — are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks generally will not protect your lungs from the fine particles in smoke.

 Summary of Fire Activity Across The United States:

All figures from web site www.nifc.gov and www.cidi.org/wildfire (numbers include all reported fires)

 REGIONAL LARGE FIRES  (500 acres or larger)

 Southern California     www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/south/fwx/operations/index.html

Old is on the north side of San Bernardino, CA and burning in Chaparral.  A unified command has been established between three Type 1 Incident Management Teams and a Type 2 Incident Management Team.  Higher relative humidity and cooler temperatures moderated fire behavior.

Cedar is located 10 miles east of Ramona, CA.  A Unified Type 1 Command has been established.  Structure protection is a priority.  Fire behavior moderated due to lower temperatures and higher humidity.

Grand Prix is 2 miles west of Mira Loma, CA.  This fire is burning in heavy chaparral.  Active backing fire with some torching was observed.  Evacuation orders have been lifted for Baldy Mesa and Oak Hills.  Evacuation orders for Silverwood Lake and Summit Valley remain in effect. 

Simi Incident is on the north side of San Bernardino, CA and burning in Chaparral.  Structure protection is in place for numerous residences and properties.  Fire growth was limited to areas where burnout operations were conducted.

Paradise is burning in heavy chaparral six miles northeast of Escondido, CA.  Structure protection is in place for numerous residences.  Fire activity was limited to runs along ridge tops caused by strong winds and low fuel moistures.

Padua is in chaparral, six miles north/northeast of Claremont, CA.  All evacuation orders have been lifted.  Minimal fire activity was observed.

Piru is 14 miles northwest of Santa Clara, CA.  Fire acreage growth was due to a significant run on the northeast perimeter.  Structure protection continues to be a priority.

Paradise 2 is seven miles northeast of Three Rivers, CA.  This fire is burning in mixed conifer and chaparral.  No new information was received.  

Northern California    http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/intel/ncsc/