COLORADO SPRINGS — The Environmental Protection Agency has an air quality index to inform us how harmful the current pollution is. Right now we're sitting around the middle in the unhealthy slot.
We sat down with Doctor Paul Mayer with the El Paso County Health Department to ask why these levels can still harm everyone. He says many unhealthy particles in wildfire smoke could contribute to negative health effects.
He says because of the smoke, we're seeing a rise in heart attacks, strokes, and of course respiratory complaints. It's something he says can affect everyone… "it's still probably worth checking where those smoke levels are, because if they're quite high, even a healthy person might choose to exercise at a different time."
Doctors say the best thing to do is adjust your outdoor exposure when the air quality index is high. You can check that on you're phone's weather app. Another easy solution we found for you is re-circulating the air in your car while you're out. Hit that little button and make sure your cabin air filter is clean.
Community members we bumped into say there's no escaping the smoke... "It’s the same in Helena where I’m from, so, it’s like we didn’t escape it. But here we are! No, we don’t worry about it too much ourselves, but we do keep an eye on it.”
Thanks to Fatima Elshani for sharing her beautiful photo of the smokey front range (above). You can always send us your pictures and news tips by using the form below.
Email Reporter Jake Walker at jake.walker@koaa.com. Follow @JakeOnAir on Instagram and Jake Walker Media on Facebook.
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