It’s not a great time to be in Lake Tahoe right now.
The Caldor Fire and other blazes are producing an excessive amount of smoke that’s leading to seriously dangerous air quality.
IQAir is a site that tracks air quality around the globe using AQI (Air Quality Index), and the numbers for Tahoe and the surrounding area are downright apocalyptic. Most people consider AQI ratings below 50 as healthy, but Tahoe City is reporting AQI ratings above 400. Any rating above 301 is considered ‘Hazardous’ and is a health warning of emergency conditions.
The screenshot above was taken from IQAir’s air quality map at 10:23am ET on August 24th. It shows that the air quality northwest and northeast of Lake Tahoe is the worst in the region.
The air quality is forcing local residents to evacuate including the editor of the popular skiing/outdoors magazine Mountain Gazette. Mike Rogge shared that this his family is heading south until the air quality improves in Tahoe. Take a look at the picture he shared. Tahoe looks like a warzone with all of that smoke.
Time to go. AQI is too high. We’re heading south. Send your best wishes, prayers, vibes to our firefighters. pic.twitter.com/rJ2LUrK6CV
— Mike Rogge 🎿 (@skiingrogge) August 23, 2021
The California blazes continue to burn, and wildfire season is just getting started. The outlook is pretty terrifying if you ask me. Multiple ski resorts in the area have been forced to close summer operations due to the wildfire risk and suffocating smoke.
I just hope that those brave men and women battling the blazes stay safe, and that we never see a fire year like this again. I know that’s unlikely considering climate change and all, but I gotta stay hopeful.
Also, feel free to tell your relatives that don’t believe in climate change that a ski blogger named Matt Lorelli gave you permission to publicly shame them for their ignorance until they accept that the earth is rapidly warming due to humans. That should hopefully give you the validation to start an intense screaming match at Thanksgiving or your next family gathering.
Stay safe out there, friends.