Uploaded November 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Wildfire smoke brings world's worst air quality to northern California - reaching hazardous levels throughout the region.
The flames from the devastating wildfires in northern California may be slowly diminishing, but the noxious smoke from the blazes continues to choke the air for millions of people in both Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area.
In fact, air quality in northern California on Thursday was the worst in the world, even worse than notoriously smoggy cities in India and China, according to Purple Air, an air quality monitoring network.
Both of those major metropolitan areas had air that was classified as either "unhealthy" or "hazardous" the Environmental Protection Agency said.
The National Weather Service has posted an "air quality alert" for a large chunk of the state, which will be in effect until the fires are extinguished.
The smoke has canceled classes for tens of thousands of university students in the region, forced school recesses to be held indoors and also spurred on a record number of internet searches for smoke masks.
In Sacramento County, the health department said school districts should "minimize the smoke exposure to students by canceling or moving all outdoor activities such as recess, PE and after-school athletics indoors."
Instead of wearing masks, county officials said the best advice is just to avoid spending time outside: "Wearing a mask may encourage outdoor activity when staying indoors is the best way to minimize exposure to smoke," the Sacramento County Public Health Office said.
Music: Patrick O'Hearn - Ancient Dreams
Wildfire smoke brings world's worst air quality to northern California - reaching hazardous levels throughout the region.
The flames from the devastating wildfires in northern California may be slowly diminishing, but the noxious smoke from the blazes continues to choke the air for millions of people in both Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area.
In fact, air quality in northern California on Thursday was the worst in the world, even worse than notoriously smoggy cities in India and China, according to Purple Air, an air quality monitoring network.
Both of those major metropolitan areas had air that was classified as either "unhealthy" or "hazardous" the Environmental Protection Agency said.
The National Weather Service has posted an "air quality alert" for a large chunk of the state, which will be in effect until the fires are extinguished.
The smoke has canceled classes for tens of thousands of university students in the region, forced school recesses to be held indoors and also spurred on a record number of internet searches for smoke masks.
In Sacramento County, the health department said school districts should "minimize the smoke exposure to students by canceling or moving all outdoor activities such as recess, PE and after-school athletics indoors."
Instead of wearing masks, county officials said the best advice is just to avoid spending time outside: "Wearing a mask may encourage outdoor activity when staying indoors is the best way to minimize exposure to smoke," the Sacramento County Public Health Office said.
Music: Patrick O'Hearn - Ancient Dreams
