Air Quality Forecast: Code Orange 5/20, Fairfax City

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

05/19/2021 4:30 PM

The air quality in the region is forecast as Code Orange on May 20.

This forecast means air quality is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Important air quality tips include:

• Children and older adults should reduce outdoor activities
• Healthy individuals should limit strenuous work or exercise, especially outdoors.
• Individuals with respiratory and heart ailments, emphysema, asthma, or chronic bronchitis should limit their level of activity.
• Bring pets indoors to climate-controlled areas.
• Animals who remain outside (working animals, farm animals, etc.) must have access to plenty of water and shade.
• Limit driving and, when possible, combine errands.
• Use area bus and rail lines, such as the city's CUE Bus, or share a ride to work.
• Avoid mowing lawns with gasoline powered mowers.
• Refuel vehicles after dusk.

As much as 60-70 percent of the pollutants that cause ground-level ozone are created from vehicles, lawn mowers, other garden equipment and common household products.

For information, visit the Air Quality website.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.