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In Los Angeles, the smoke just hangs all day, every day. Residents say it’s taking a toll
Environment Sep 16, 2020
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‘It looks like the apocalypse:’ See wildfire smoke turn San Francisco’s sky orange 01:20 (CNN)In the foothills below the Bobcat Fire, just northeast of Los Angeles, the smoke just hangs all day, every day. “Thirty-plus years ago, I quit smoking,” Mike Day, of nearby Monrovia, told CNN on Saturday. “But I’ve started again in the last six days, just from (breathing) the air.” Day is among thousands of people on the West Coast who feel they are unable to go outside without the poor air quality taking a toll on their health. The almost 90 large wildfires raging in the West have killed at least 36 people, destroyed hundreds of buildings and even entire towns. The fires have also burned more than 4.6 million acres in the West, creating massive plumes visible even on the International Space Station . The smoke, many say, has become unbearable. People in states like California, Oregon and Washington said they have had physical reactions — headaches, drowsiness and dry, burning eyes — after air quality index rates in their areas soared. Air quality levels from Canada to Southern California are unhealthy or even hazardous, according to the US government’s AirNow Smoke Map . […]
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