NMED, NMDOH Issue Smoke Advisory
NMED/NMDOH Press Release
(Santa Fe, NM) — The New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Department of Health today issued a smoke advisory for the areas of New Mexico affected by smoke from the numerous wildfires currently burning across the state.
The Department of Health recommends that sensitive groups, such as the elderly, small children, or any individual with respiratory or heart problems, leave the area where the smoke levels are within the unhealthy range (see table below) until the smoke dissipates or stay inside as much as possible. Citizens are also urged not to use swamp coolers as they will pull the smoke inside.
Air quality conditions associated with smoke are especially important for people with underlying health conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and cardiovascular disease. If symptoms associated with these preexisting conditions do not respond to your usual recommended medications, see a health care provider immediately. NMED and DOH do feel that sensitive groups should practice caution until the smoke dissipates. Real-time air monitoring data is available for some areas of the state at NMED’s website at http://air.nmenv.state.nm.us/.
In areas without real-time particulate monitors, visibility can serve as a good surrogate in determining air quality. The following chart includes guidelines for extrapolating air quality from observed visibility.
| Categories | Visibility in Miles |
| Good | 10 miles and up |
| Moderate | 6 to 9 |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 3 to 5 |
| Unhealthy | 1½ to 2½ |
| Very Unhealthy | 1 to 1¼ |
| Hazardous | ¾ mile or less |
Procedure for Making Personal Observation to Determine Smoke Concentrations
- Face away from the sun
- Determine the limit of your visibility range by looking for targets at known distances (miles). Visible range is that point at which even the high contrast objects totally disappear
- After determining visibility in miles, use the chart to determine health effect and appropriate cautionary statement.
For further information on the impacts of smoke to health, go to NMED’s Web page:
http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/aqb/Wildfire-PM.html, or contact Marissa Bardino, NMED Communications Director, at (505) 827-0314 or Deborah Busemeyer, DOH Communications Director at (505) 827-2619.