Wildfires are spreading across the West, affecting air quality in Nevada and California.
The Davis Fire, located between Reno and Lake Tahoe, along with three fires near Los Angeles – the Line, Bridge, and Airport fires – are causing some of the worst air quality in the area.
Mesquite, Nevada, and Scenic, Arizona, located about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, are seeing especially poor air conditions. On Wednesday evening, Mesquite had an air quality index of 225, which is classified as very unhealthy according to AirNow, a government air quality tracker.
The air quality index ranges from 0 to 301 and above, with lower numbers indicating cleaner air. Reno, for example, had a good rating of 49 on Wednesday. Boulder City, Nevada, near the Hoover Dam, had an unhealthy rating of 168.
Las Vegas experienced air quality between 130 and 170 on Wednesday, both of which are considered unhealthy. The National Weather Service in Las Vegas reports that the Southern California fires have worsened conditions, with some residents even noticing ash falling from the sky.