Fire near Tracy prompts health caution

A large biomass fire that’s been burning since Monday near Tracy led air officials to issue a health cautionary statement for San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties, particularly the communities of Lathrop, Manteca and Modesto. The caution is in place until the fire is extinguished, according to a news release Tuesday from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

A captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection office in Tracy who had not been on the scene called it a wood chip or debris fire that takes a lot of time, water and foam to put out. Such fires tend to smolder and often require dozers to move around the fuel so hot spots are exposed and extinguished, he said. CBS 13 in Sacramento reported that what’s burning are piles of almond hulls.

The fire is in the area of Sugar Road at North Tracy Boulevard, north of Interstate 205.

Smoke from fires produces fine-particulate matter (PM2.5), which can cause serious health problems including lung disease, asthma attacks, and increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, according to the air district. Where conditions warrant, people with heart or lung disease should follow their doctors’ advice for dealing with episodes of particulate exposure. Additionally, older adults and children should avoid prolonged exposure or heavy exertion, depending on their local conditions.

People with existing respiratory conditions, young children and elderly people are especially susceptible to health effects from these pollutants. Air district officials urge residents to follow doctors’ orders when exposed to fire emissions.

The air district also provides the Real-Time Air Advisory Network, which delivers monitoring data directly to users’ computers. The free service is at www.valleyair.org/raan.

School employees who see or smell the smoke near their campuses should keep students inside per the Real-Time Outdoor Activity Risk guidelines for Level 5 conditions at www.valleyair.org/Programs/RAAN/documents/RAAN-AQ-activity-guidance-chart.pdf.

For more information, visit www.valleyair.org or call the air district office in Modesto at (209) 557-6400.

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Fire near Tracy prompts health caution."