Wildfire Smoke Advisory 7/29/2024

Multiple wildfires in the Kern River Valley (KRV) and surrounding California Counties are impacting residents of Eastern Kern.

The District is recommending that children, older individuals, and those with pre-existing heart and lung problems should avoid outdoor activity, whenever they can smell or see smoke in their immediate area.  Effects can be as mild as a headache; eye, nose or throat irritation; or as serious as triggered asthma episodes or stresses on weakened cardiovascular systems.  Adverse health impacts may also be seen in normally healthy individuals, if they are engaged in strenuous outdoor activities during periods of exposure to ground-level smoke.

Sensitive individuals should stay indoors in an air-conditioned building with windows and doors closed whenever there is smoke at ground level in their area.  Most residential central air conditioning systems re-circulate the air inside the home, so these can be operated normally; however, many commercial buildings and a small percentage of newer homes have mechanical ventilation systems that actively bring in outdoor air, and these should be set to a "re-circulate" mode, if available.  If you are using a window air conditioner it should also be set to the “re-circulate” mode.  Water or swamp coolers remove only a small portion of the smoke particles from the air that they bring in and provide little protection from the smoke.  The District is recommending not using a swamp cooler if there is smoke present in your area.  Whole house fans should not be used until the threat of smoke impacts in your area is gone.

Additional information on the Trout Fire may be found at Trout Fire Status Update Reports on the Cal Fire website: Incidents | CAL FIRE

EKAPCD Trout Fire Health Advisory 7/17/24

Instructions for obtaining an Open Burn Permit

Permits for fire hazard reduction and tumbleweed pile burning can be obtained online through Community Connect. Community Connect can be accessed by clicking the link below, or through the Hazard Reduction Pile Burning Permit Application widget in the sidebar of the Home Page. Instruction for obtaining a burn permit can be found by clicking the link below.

Hazard Reduction Burn Permit Instructions

Link for obtaining Hazard Reduction Burn Permit

Open Burning on SRA land will be allowed starting January 5, 2024

Kern County Fire Department announced Open Burning on SRA land within Eastern Kern County will be allowed starting January 5, 2024. Hazard reduction open burning will also be allowed on non-SRA land durring approved favorable burn days.

Be advised: Hazard reduction open burning requires a burn burmit. You can obtain a burn permit by Clicking Here, or from the link on the hazard reduction pile burning permit application widget on the home page sidebar.

Agricultural Crop Waste, Hazard Reduction & Noxious Weed Burning

Commercial Agricultural operations must obtain and maintain an annual Crop Waste, Hazard Reduction & Noxious Weed Burning permit from the District.

Click here to download a copy of the Application for Agricultural Burning.

Please be advised: You must check burn-day status on the day you wish to burn, prior to ignition. To do so, please look at the “status” of the permit in the burn permit tile. If the status says “Active”, burning is allowed for that day; if the status says “Suspended - Burn Ban”, then burning is not allowed on that day.

Click Here for Burn Day Forecast

Current Wild Fire/Smoke info is available at the links below

InciWeb Incident Information (Click Here)

Cal Fire (Click Here)

American Red Cross Safe and Well (Click Here)

How Smoke Can Effect Your Health

Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic matter burns. The biggest health threat from smoke comes from fine particles. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis. Fine particles also can aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases – and even are linked to premature deaths in people with these conditions.

People with asthma, heart disease, lung disease, older adults, and children are at greater risk of being affected by smoke. If you are healthy, you're usually not at a major risk from smoke but it's still a good idea to avoid breathing smoke if you can help it. It's important to limit your exposure to smoke, especially if you may be susceptible.

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:
Watch local news and weather stations, pay attention to health warning and air quality reports, you can also use the EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI). Use common sense; if it looks smoky outside, it's probably not a good time to mow the lawn, go for a run, or let children play outside.

If your advised to stay indoors take steps to keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep windows and doors closed. Run an air conditioner if needed but make the fresh air intake is closed and the filter is clean. Do not use a swamp cooler as it will pull in lots of smoke from outside. If your house becomes to hot to be comfortable seek alternative shelter. If it is cool outside try to avoid anything that produces heat from burning such as a fireplace, gas logs, or a gas stove.

Click here for more information

Residential Wood Burning

Many Eastern Kern County residents
use woodstoves and fireplaces to heat
their homes.

If you burn please remember to do so
as cleanly as possible.

Never burn household waste in your
woodstove or fireplace and only burn
clean, dry, seasoned wood, and maintain
a hot fire.

Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS)

Useful Smoke and Fire Documents

EKAPCD Wood Burning Fact Sheet

EKAPCD Agricultural Burn Policy

EKAPCD HELP Undercut Smoke pamphlet

EPA Burn Wise Website

Health Effects From Smoke

Ten Tips for Safer, Cleaner Fireplace Burning

American Lung: California Fires, Tips to Protect Your Lungs

ARB Wood Burning Handbook