As California burns, smoke makes its way to southern Colorado

Published Sept. 2, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier
302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Californians are in the midst of what is proving to be a devastating fire season as wildland fires from Redwood to San Francisco and Los Angeles to San Diego burn out of control. As of Sept. 1, more than 50 homes have been destroyed by the fire's fury. And this time, Colorado is in the wake of these fires too: its smoke.

Prevailing winds are pushing large plumes of smoke generated by the fires over Western states. Weather officials at Peterson's weather flight, who track conditions throughout the state, said most of the smoke conditions will remain to the north of the Colorado Springs area.

"The flow of the wind is coming from the northwest," said Staff Sgt. Erin Harvanek, 21st Operations Support Squadron weather flight, who has tracked weather for the flight for five months. "That flow, which directs weather conditions, is pushing smoke from the northwest to the southeast. But we are not concerned about heavy, hazardous smoke. It's so minimal."

A high pressure system sitting over the Southwest is directing smoke toward the Colorado area. Typically a rare occurrence, smoke from fires so far West don't normally make it to the Rocky Mountains.

With safety a high priority for Airmen, health officials here said there is currently no cause for alarm.

"They have wildfires in California every year, but we don't have enough exposure at this time to warrant public education," said Master Sgt. Jeriann Sigley, 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health official.

Sergeant Sigley said if smoke became a greater concern in the area, and if members had concerns, they could simply apply a surgical mask to block any inhalation of the smoke.

The California smoke settling over Colorado, according to the weather flight, is expected to dissipate between Sept. 3 and 4.

The 302nd Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve C-130 wing based at Peterson, is one of four units Air Force-wide that support aerial firefighting with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System. If called upon by U.S. Northern Command, members of the 302nd AW could travel to California within 48 hours to support beleaguered firefighting ground crews battling multiple blazes throughout the state.

As California burns, smoke makes it way to southern Colorado