JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
There's still critical fire danger in Southern California, but the howling winds and near-constant emergency alerts of the last three days are finally slowing down. That's given the majority of Angelinos a chance to catch their breaths, except it's a smoky, unhealthy breath, especially for those who already have breathing problems. NPR's Liz Baker reports.
LIZ BAKER, BYLINE: In a neighborhood under the San Gabriel foothills, Erick Strum has stopped by to check on his home. He's wearing a serious-looking respirator - you know, the kind that make you look like Ant-Man. His house is fine.
ERICK STRUM: Went inside and took off our masks, and everything smells like smoke. But from what we can tell, other than hot spots in our yard, the home is fine.
BAKER: He rolls a suitcase down the middle of the street, past smoldering homes, twisted piles of metal that used to be cars, and puddles of blue plastic - the remains of melted garbage bins that now look like modern art. Some of that is in the air now.
RUSSELL BUHR: There's a lot of chemicals and building materials in furniture and electronics and cars and all these things that are burning up, too. Close exposure to those things, we know, can be very, very serious.
BAKER: Pulmonologist Russell Buhr is with UCLA Health.
BUHR: I mean, I can't even count the number of calls I've gotten since Tuesday from my own patients who are really having a hard time.
BAKER: He says those with conditions like asthma and COPD, and even people with a history of heart and kidney problems, should be paying close attention to symptoms.
BUHR: Dizziness, lightheadedness, chest pain, headaches and kind of being less alert or more drowsy than normal. Those are all things that we would want to get immediate attention for.
BAKER: That's because wildfire smoke contains tiny particles that are so small they can travel deep into your lungs and into the bloodstream, causing issues from there. Research shows that wildfire smoke is more toxic than other types of air pollution, but most people aren't going to be in serious danger from the smoke today. LA County is huge. Ten million people live here. Many of them will be able to stay inside, run an air purifier - if they have power - or wear an N95 mask. But that's not always an option for those in the smokiest areas, notes Dr. Buhr.
BUHR: You know, the idea of trying to shelter in place just isn't a reality in something like a wildfire, and so being able to protect yourself when you're displaced is even more challenging.
BAKER: He says these fires are the worst he's seen in his 25 years practicing in LA. And he worries that as scenarios like this become more common with climate change, so, too, will the panicked calls from patients looking for help breathing.
Liz Baker, NPR News, Los Angeles.
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