The photos and videos of the Northern California wildfires are both stunning and disheartening; as of Sept. 15, 13,000 people have had to leave their homes and 67,000 acres have burned in the valley fire. The fire isn’t just affecting California. Surprisingly enough, the smoke from the California fires is affecting the air quality hundreds of miles away in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Air pollution from the fires “can cause inflammation of the airways, coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath,” according to an article by Christina Dawldowicz, Fox21News. The additional air pollution Colorado Springs residents are exposed to can be especially problematic for individuals with allergies and/or asthma. Even those without respiratory problems can experience eye and nose irritation from the smoke.

Asthma and allergy sufferers can experience some relief from the smoke pollution, also known as “particle pollution,” by limiting time spent outdoors. Those with respiratory problems can switch to indoor exercises, or shorten their outdoor exercises, and should pay close attention to symptoms to determine how much time they can handle being outdoors.

Additional Resources:

Asthma and Outdoor Air Pollution by the Environmental Protection Agency