Air quality experts warn against fireworks

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tonight the Valley Air District is hoping you will make a difference. They're hoping you'll consider our poor air quality this Fourth of July.

Fireworks go hand in hand with the Fourth of July. You can spot stands on nearly every corner and you can always catch a professional show lighting up a neighborhood. But the folks at the Valley Air District are worried about a spark of a different kind - the one that affects our air.

Heather Heinks with the Valley Air District says, "What comes out of fireworks in addition to medals and chemicals is smoke - p.m., particulate matter. and p.m. comes out of fireworks, you inhale, it goes into your blood stream there's plenty of research that shows there's long term health impacts to that".

Valley residents have always struggled with air quality it's a problem we have a hard time overcoming. Heinks says, "You can't get rid of the lid that's usually on it, you can't move the mountains, we need to be very diligent in paying attention to what we put into the air".

Air quality experts released these graphs showing the spike in particulate matter on the Fourth of July. You can see it spikes into the "very unhealthy" area at the very end of the day, which Heinks says is a problem for everyone not just those with sensitive respiratory systems. "People say how is that going to impact it it's only for one evening but it does even the most healthy person in a neighborhood with fireworks will wake up with a scratchy throat and some congestion".

They're hoping that you'll go to a neighborhood show and not set off your own fireworks. They're also hoping that message will get out to local charities. "It will take public education and a process to bring the charities to come up with a different game plan a different source for your income for the year".

If you do have respiratory issues you're advised to stay indoors tonight and into tomorrow.