Smoke from California wildfire leads to air advisory in Las Vegas
Clouds of smoke from a 21,000-acre California wildfire made their way to the Las Vegas Valley on Wednesday, leading to an air quality advisory.
Smoke from the Lake fire, in the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear, Calif., roughly 210 miles away from Las Vegas, was visible throughout the day Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The fire started June 17 and was 27 percent contained by Wednesday night.
The Clark County Department of Air Quality’s ozone advisory goes through Friday. Smoke can aggravate respiratory problems.
But besides a show in the sky — thin clouds that made stripes across the sun as the western horizon glowed a brilliant pink — it was the usual Mojave Desert hot.
And then some. Wednesday’s high reached 110 degrees, the weather service said. That’s eight degrees above the average high of 102 for June 24 and just three degrees under the record of 113 set in 1961. Wind speeds remained constant around 10 to 15 mph.
On Thursday, the valley could reach 112 degrees, making it the hottest day of the year so far, meteorologist Andrew Gorelow said.
Friday and Saturday could get even hotter, reaching as high as 114, the weather service said. Sporadic clouds will come and go, but there’s no chance of rain until early next week.
People should avoid strenuous activities and alcohol during the hottest parts of the day and drink plenty of water.
Review-Journal writer Kimberly De La Cruz contributed to this story. Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj.