The August Complex, officially the largest fire in California history, is burning across five counties in northern California, including Mendocino. So far, the flames from the 755,603 acre inferno have spared most of Mendocino's more populated areas, but the smoke has not. For days, unhealthy and hazardous air quality, marked by hazy skies and a golden, reddish hue, has sat stagnant across Mendocino, from the mountains, to the chapperelle, to the coast.
The smoke will likely stick around, fluctuating in and out with the wind, for as long as the fires rage on. So what is this smoke doing to our health? Two scientists from UC Davis help answer this question.