The Hughes fire has emitted enormous plumes of smoke during its rapid growth in the Castaic area, leading to potentially unhealthy air quality nearby, officials said.
The smoke has caused the air quality index to fall into the unhealthy range in Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Oxnard, Piru, Santa Paula, Simi Valley and Ventura, according to the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.
Air quality monitors downwind of the Hughes fire recorded hazardous levels of smoke and soot, according to the district. Some of the highest levels were recorded at Rio Mesa High School in El Rio, due north of Oxnard.
The local air district urged residents to stay indoors as much as possible, close all windows and doors and wear protective masks to limit their exposure.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District also issued a smoke advisory for a wide swath of northwestern Los Angeles County. The potentially affected area stretches from the Santa Monica and Malibu coastline to the south up through the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Angeles National Forest and into the Castaic Lake area.
Smoke will most heavily impact areas near and to the southwest of the fire, including the San Gabriel Mountains, the Interstate 5 corridor near Castaic Lake and Santa Clarita, according to the AQMD.
Children, seniors and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the effects of smoke and soot. When ultrafine particles from wildfires are inhaled, they travel into the lungs and even into the bloodstream, where they can trigger respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
