Garnet Fire prompts smoke advisories for parts of California, Nevada over air quality

People in parts of Central California and western Nevada remain under a Dense Smoke Advisory as the lightning-caused Garnet Fire rages in the West despite around-the-clock efforts to suppress the flames.

The Garnet Fire has spread across over 56,000 acres in California and is now 15% contained. Firefighters did note that they made significant progress Tuesday holding troublesome parts of the fire to containment lines.

The wildfire, located primarily in Sierra National Forest northeast of Fresno, California, has produced large smoke plumes since it began Aug. 24, following a lightning strike, according to officials.

Firefighters are also trying to protect McKinley Grove, which is home to historic giant sequoia trees. The tallest trees in McKinley Grove are more than 230 feet high, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

As the struggle to contain the flames continues, the smoke from the fire has spread into the beloved Yosemite National Park, where “hazardous” air quality – the worst air quality rating possible – was reported Monday. This means breathing the air would cause problems for even healthy individuals, but especially those who suffer from respiratory illnesses. As of Tuesday evening, the air quality had improved to an “unhealthy” rating, a notable improvement from Monday’s status.

Hawthorne, Nevada, is currently under “unhealthy” air quality conditions, while areas such as Esmeralda County, Nevada, nearly two hours away, are still experiencing unsafe air quality for sensitive groups.

A Dense Smoke Advisory was issued by the National Weather Service office in Hanford, California, for parts of both California and Nevada on Monday. According to the NWS, the smoke could reduce visibility to a mile or less at times. With lowered visibility comes an ongoing risk to drivers. Areas such as Auberry and Cedar Grove, California, are still under a Dense Smoke Advisory through Wednesday morning.

“The intense heat generated by an active wildfire drives smoke high into the air where it remains until it cools and begins to descend,” read a statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “As smoke moves downward to ground level, it becomes more diluted and often more widespread.”

Air quality levels are not expected to improve until winds change or containment of the fire increases.

According to the NWS, poor air quality is responsible for an estimated more than 100,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year.