By Rebecca Shurtz
Not only has the fire in Cascade Springs scorched at least 7,790 acres, but it has also caused health problems for many residents with asthma and allergies in Utah County.
Because smoke from the wildfires caused high concentrations of particulates in the air, BYU”s Environmental Safety Officer Ed Jackson recommended those students with respiratory problems to stay inside during the worst levels.
“Some of the buildings on campus have very good filtration systems, up to 80 percent filtration,” he said. “Staying inside will help to decrease some of the breathing problems associated with the air pollution.”
An Air Quality Report by the Utah Division of Air Quality for the Wasatch Front declared the air pollution level for downtown Provo and Utah County Monday afternoon to be in “good” condition.
“The air quality has improved greatly from this past week,” Jackson said. “We have been lucky since the air patterns are blowing in a direction away from our area.”
When the fire started last Tuesday, the air was thick with smoke.
“I woke up with a terrible sore throat,” said Emily Gibby, 23, from Preston, Idaho. “At that point I didn”t have a clue what was going on, but after walking up to campus, I felt like my chest was burning and like I was going to pass out. I wasn”t getting enough air.”
Gibby has asthma and gets allergy shots twice a week.
“Being in buildings all day helped some, but it was only after a few days when the smoked cleared that I was feeling better,” she said.
By Monday night Uinta National Forest officials expected to have full containment of the fire.
“The smoke has dropped off substantially,” said Dave Palazzolo, public relations specialist for Uinta National Forest. “It is more dust than smoke at this point.”
Palazzolo said firefighters are now at the clean up stage. Helicopters unloaded water to cool down the area, and a containment line was dug around 95 percent of the area to stop further spread.
“As they control the fire, everyone should benefit,” Jackson said.
