Smoke From King Fire Wreaking Havoc On Outdoor Activities In Sierra Foothills
PLACER HIGH SCHOOL (CBS13) — It's hard not to notice the giant plume of smoke from the King Fire looming over the Sierra.
School districts are watching air quality closely to make sure it's safe for students to be outside, and some events have already been canceled.
The Placer High cross country team was out and running on Wednesday, with the massive smoke cloud off in the distance.
The team's meet at Bear River High was canceled because of concerns about smoke from the King Fire.
"You have busing and you got six schools coming from Sacramento, so it was easier to cancel last night and be safe," Placer coach Randal Fee said. "So we've rescheduled that meet."
AIR QUALITY INFO
Fee says it's not the first time the smoke has put the brakes on his runners. Just last year, the Rim Fire affected races.
El Dorado County is under an air quality advisory, while parts of Placer County are floating in and out of the unhealthy air range.
"Even healthy people can be affected by the smoke and have very acute symptoms. you know, coughing, difficulty breathing, kind of hurting when it breathes, that sort of thing," said Ann Hobbs with the Placer County Air Pollution Control District.
She recommends checking the air quality regularly before exercising outside, since it changes by the hour.
"In the mornings we're finding that the smoke is settling down into the low-lying areas," she said. "And it's lifting about mid-morning to noon time hours.
A number of other foothills schools also canceled outdoor recess, gym and sports because of the smoke. Ironman organizers say the triathlon at Lake Tahoe is still on for Sunday, but they are closely monitoring the situation.
The Placer High cross country team has another meet scheduled for Saturday in Folsom, where it appears safe. But with the King Fire just 5 percent contained, practice for the young runners is touch and go.
"We will make that call right at 3:00 when we have practice. but it's a huge concern and you know, their safety comes first," Fee said.
