Editor’s note: the following information has been submitted by the Jefferson County Health Department.
A local warehouse fire in Fort Atkinson has caused excess smoke and increased particulate matter levels in local air quality.
Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) is coordinating with Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the ongoing situation and is continuously assessing any impact or risk to local air and water quality. JCHD will communicate any relevant information via our website and social media.
Due to the excess smoke and increased levels of particulate matter in the air, area residents that can see or smell smoke should remain indoors, particularly those with heart and lung conditions. Residents, businesses, and visitors in the area should take precautions by remaining indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, and running air conditioning until conditions improve.
Unusually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged or heavy exertion, and people with heart or lung disease should pay attention to symptoms that may present. Levels of particulate matter are currently moderately elevated in areas near the site, defined as 12.1 – 35.4 PM2.5 μg/m.
Individuals with symptoms of lung or heart disease, including repeated coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea, unusual fatigue or light-headedness, should contact a health care provider.
Those people living or visiting near the site area that can see or smell smoke should maintain awareness and consider wearing an N95 mask outdoors to reduce exposure to particulates as the winds shift due to storm activity. People concerned with how their health may be impacted from this event should talk with their doctor or medical provider.
After the fire is out and smoke levels have diminished, residents and businesses in the area should consider changing HVAC filters. More information on healthy indoor air quality guidelines is available from the U.S. EPA webpage found here: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-particulate-matter.
For more updates, visit the City of Fort Atkinson website: http://www.fortatkinsonwi.net/.
Send questions to: Sjakvani@jeffersoncountywi.gov.
File photo/Chris Spangler
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