Mountain fire in Ventura County causes dangerous air quality, prompts school closures – Orange County Register

The Mountain Fire, which has burned more than 14,500 acres and dozens of homes in Ventura County since Thursday, Nov. 7, has led to dangerous air quality and road and school closures.

More than a dozen schools and school districts in Ventura County were closed Thursday, and several will remain closed Friday.

The following schools will be closed on Friday, November 8th:

• ACE Charter High School
• Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education (CAPE)
• Mesa Union School District (all locations)
• Peak Prep Pleasant Valley
• Pleasant Valley School District (all locations)
• Santa Paula Unified School District (all locations)
• University preparatory charter school at CSU in the Channel Islands

The fire also led to multiple evacuations and the following road closures:

• Lewis Road north at Las Posas
• Eastbound Highway 118 at Wells Road
• Westbound Highway 118 at Tierra Rejada Road

The Ventura County Air Pollution Central District issued an air quality alert that was active until Thursday afternoon. The alert said PM2.5 measurements in Oxnard and Camarillo have reached dangerous levels.

PM2.5 levels mean the amount of tiny particles in the air that are 2.5 micrometers in diameter, or 0.0025 or less. PM2.5 can cause a range of health problems such as asthma attacks, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. It is a concern for everyone, regardless of whether someone has a pre-existing condition or not.

“This can also affect healthy people,” said Dr. Afif El-Hasan. “It worsens diseases you already have, but even in healthy people it reduces and weakens immunity.”

Dr. El-Hasan is a respiratory expert, a member of the SoCal Air Quality Management District committee and a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente Orange County. He recommends that residents of Ventura County and even neighboring areas such as Los Angeles and Orange County, which also have air quality warnings issued, wear N95 masks when outdoors.

Dr. El-Hasan also urged the public to remain cautious even after firefighters contained the blaze.

“Debris and ash can remain scattered for days, even weeks after the fire is extinguished,” he said.

Air purifiers are recommended for those who do not have air conditioning or leave their windows open to cool off, as the Santa Ana winds can carry the particles over large areas. Vulnerable populations may be eligible for free or cost-adjusted equipment through insurance or other programs, such as Breathe California or the Ventura County Human Services Agency.