AIR QUALITY ALERT

Sent by Arelen Perea, Mountainair Ranger District: 

On the last link to AZ Central that I sent you about the fire growth, you must click on the forward button down on the bottom left hand side of the link to see the changes every day. Here's the link once more.  http://www.azcentral.com/news/wildfires/wallow/wallow-fire-timeline.php

Air quality from the National Weather Service

AIR QUALITY ALERT MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
555 AM MDT THU JUN 9 2011



THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE NEW MEXICO
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.



THE WALLOW FIRE NEAR ALPINE ARIZONA REMAINS VERY ACTIVE...
ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS WHEN WIND SPEEDS
PICK UP AND RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE AT THEIR LOWEST. AN EXTENSIVE
PLUME OF SMOKE IS LIKELY TO OCCUR AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THE DENSEST SMOKE WILL LIKELY STRETCH FROM THE RED HILL AND QUEMADO
AREAS IN NORTHWEST CATRON COUNTY...THROUGH SOUTHERN CIBOLA AND
NORTHERN SOCORRO COUNTIES AND INTO VALENCIA COUNTY. THE SMOKE PLUME
IS NOT EXPECTED TO STRETCH AS FAR NORTHWARD AS IN PREVIOUS DAYS...AND
THE GREATEST IMPACT IS EXPECTED ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40.

SMOKE WILL LIKELY SETTLE INTO MUCH OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER RIO GRANDE
VALLEY. VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO BELOW 3 MILES ALONG THE
INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR BETWEEN ALBUQUERQUE AND SOCORRO...WITH
LOCALIZED VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS 1 MILE. AS A REMINDER...VISIBILITIES
OF THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE OR LESS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HAZARDOUS AIR
QUALITY. THIS MEANS THE AIR QUALITY IS UNSAFE FOR ALL PERSONS. REDUCE
EXPOSURE TO THE DANGEROUS SMOKE CONDITIONS.

THE MURPHY AND HORSESHOE 2 FIRES BURNING IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA
ARE ALSO PRODUCING SMOKE PLUMES EACH AFTERNOON. TODAY...THE
SMOKE FROM THESE FIRES MAY AFFECT SOCORRO...AND LINCOLN COUNTIES.

ALTHOUGH VISIBILITIES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE REDUCED AS MUCH AS AREAS
DOWNSTREAM OF THE WALLOW FIRE...A NOTICEABLE HAZE AND REDUCTION IN
VISIBILITY IS LIKELY...INCLUDING AROUND RUIDOSO.

THOSE WITH RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES OR ISSUES SHOULD AVOID USING THEIR
SWAMP COOLERS AND SHOULD STAY INDOORS. THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT WHEN SMOKE LEVELS ARE HIGH...THE USE OF
ANYTHING THAT BURNS SUCH AS CANDLES...FIREPLACES..OR GAS STOVES...IS
DISCOURAGED.

THE AIR QUALITY BUREAU OF THE NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT
AND THE FOREST SERVICE OPERATE AIR QUALITY MONITORS ACROSS THE
STATE. IF AIR QUALITY DATA ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR YOUR LOCATION...
ESTIMATES OF THE AIR QUALITY CAN BE DETERMINED USING THE VISIBILITY.

IF SMOKE REDUCES VISIBILITY TO 3 TO 5 MILES...THE AIR QUALITY IS
UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE PEOPLE. VISIBILITIES OF LESS THAN TWO AND
ONE HALF MILES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS FOR ALL.