Salt Lake City ranks 14th for the worst air quality in the world

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — As smoke from wildfires in northern Utah and California continue to funnel into the Salt Lake Valley, Utah’s air quality has taken a considerable hit, ranking among the Top 15 worst in the world to close July.

According to IQ Air , an online air quality monitoring service, Salt Lake City had the 14th worst air quality globally — and the worst for a U.S. city — on the morning of Wednesday, July 31.

The air quality is pushing “unhealthy for sensitive groups” — or “orange” — levels in Salt Lake Valley… Some sensors in Davis and southern Weber County already report that level of pollution, according to IQ Air, showing a concerning rise in pollutants.

Where is the smoke coming from?

Much of the western United States is on fire, billowing smoke from the pacific coast eastward toward Utah and beyond. The U.S. Air Quality Index fire and smoke map shows several dozen fires in California, Oregon, and Utah.

The smoke map shows Salt Lake City stuck in the crossfire, so to speak.

The Mill Fire just north of Sacramento, Calif., for example, has burned nearly 3,000 acres since July 22. Smoke from the flames has combined with other western United States fires to span as far as the Great Plains.

Other fires heavily impacting Utah include the California Long Fire which has burned over 9,000 acres, the California Trout Fire (23,300 acres), and the local Sandhurst , Silver King , and Dikker Hill fires.

How to stay safe from wildfire smoke

The best way to stay safe from wildfire smoke is to stay inside and keep the smoke outside of your home, according to experts.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping doors and windows closed and using fans and air conditioning to stay cool. If your home has a central heating and cooling system using a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate the air already inside the house.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggests using portable air cleaners or high-efficiency filters to remove the fine particles from the air.

If you do have to go outside, both the EPA and CDC recommend wearing a respiratory mask marked NIOSH with either N95 or P100. The EPA said these masks can easily be found online or at hardware and home repair stores.

Avoid doing any rigorous or strenuous activity while outside if there is smoke in the air to help reduce how much smoke you inhale.

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