A large wildfire in the Central Coast region is causing poor air quality in SoCal as temperatures heat up.
The Gifford Fire, as of Tuesday morning, had charred more than 82,500 acres and was seven percent contained after it first broke out northeast of Santa Maria on Friday afternoon. It is mostly burning in rural San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, but evacuation orders and warnings are in effect for several populated areas.
Smoke from the wildfire has been affecting air quality across the state, including in Southern California, where weather officials are advising residents that, in addition to air quality issues, high temperatures will climb this week.
“Temperatures will hover around normal through Tuesday, then warm up to four to eight degrees above normal Wednesday and Thursday, especially in areas away from the immediate coast, and smoke from the Gifford Fire may cause some air quality issues at times,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said in their area forecast discussion on Monday night. “A slight cooling trend is expected over the weekend but temperatures will remain above normal away from the immediate coast.”
With the heat, NWS is advising that there is an increased risk of wildfires in addition to the common effects of high temperatures, such as heat-related illnesses.
“Stay hydrated, limit outdoor activities during the afternoon hours, check the back seat and be extra careful with anything that can spark a fire,” NWS says.
Some smart SoCal residents were heeding that advice on Tuesday morning, choosing to exercise before the sun got too strong. KTLA 5’s Ellina Abovian was at Central Park in Santa Clarita to interview those getting out, even though the air wasn’t as fresh as could be.
One man, who started a campaign called #justshowup to inspire Santa Clarita Valley residents to climb Central Park’s famous steps 100 times, agreed that while he wants people to be active, he knows that the weather can play a role in what they choose to do.
“We are in Southern California, so sometimes all the fires will definitely not allow us to breathe, but [I encourage residents] to come out and get [the exercise] you can get, and then you can go on about your day,” the man, Christian, said.
There have already been four people who have completed the stair climb 100 times, including one woman who did it in just three days. She, the other three and the next 96 people to accomplish the feat will have their name featured on a #justshowup shirt.
Ellina eventually journeyed up the steps with Christian and photojournalist Dave Lopez, who was carrying a camera, in tow. They all completed the walk up with relative ease, as pointed out by KTLA anchors Frank Buckley and Jessica Holmes.
And while it’s unknown exactly how many stair climbs Ellina (and Dave) may undertake on Tuesday, Ellina said at 8 a.m. that she would do it at least “a few more times.”