The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Environment Department are monitoring air quality in New Mexico due to smoke from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. These conditions may change on a daily basis.
In areas without air quality monitoring equipment, visibility can serve as a good substitute in determining air quality. The departments remind residents to use the 5-3-1 approach to gauge air quality:
Using your eyes to gauge the visibility is the best tool. Here are guidelines:
· When visibility starts to go below 5 miles, people in sensitive groups (those with asthma, young children, those over age 65, those with heart or lung conditions) should start to minimize outdoor activity until air quality improves. This is because the air quality category is “Unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
· When visibility starts to go below 3 miles, people in sensitive groups should avoid all outdoor activities until air quality improves. This is because the air quality category is “Unhealthy.”
· For everyone else: minimize outdoor activities when visibility starts to go below 3 miles.
· When visibility is below about one mile, everyone should be staying indoors.
You can find information about air quality and wildfire smoke here: https://nmtracking.org/en/environ_exposure/fire-and-smoke/ and https://www.env.nm.gov/aqb/WildfireSmokeLinks.htm.
Information from NM DOH