The Merced County Department of Public Health has issued a Health Alert urging residents in the area of a large tire fire in Ballico to take precautions to reduce their exposure to potentially unhealthy air.
A fire is currently burning at American Tire Recycling in the 13000 block of Newport Road in Ballico. Because of the nature of the fire and the materials involved, the fire is expected to continue burning for an extended period, potentially up to a week.
According to the county, approximately 9,000 tons of outdoor tire-storage material were burning as of Monday. Turlock Fire responded as mutual aid to assist Merced County Fire in battling the fire.
Residents who can smell smoke and/or see ash should consider that an indication they may be experiencing poor air quality and should take steps to reduce their exposure, according to the health department.
Residents are advised to:
- Stay indoors when possible and cancel or postpone outdoor activities.
- Keep windows and doors closed.
- Run air conditioning systems and use household air purifiers or other air filtration devices when available.
- Follow recommendations from medical professionals and local health authorities.
- Avoid the area of the fire and allow emergency crews to safely manage the incident.
Merced County Cooling Zones are available to provide residents with relief from the heat and will also serve as clean air centers for those seeking a reprieve from smoke. N95 masks will be available at these locations for anyone who would like one. The cooling centers closed to Ballico are: Livingston Library Branch at 1212 Main St., Livingston, and the Livingston Police Department, 1446 C St.
Residents should be aware that standard surgical or non-N95 masks are not effective at filtering smoke particles. N95 masks provide better protection when properly fitted and worn.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has also issued an Air Quality Alert for Merced County due to potential smoke impacts from the tire fire.
The Valley Air District is working with the Merced County Fire Department, Merced County Office of Emergency Services, and other local partners to assess potential impacts while monitoring air quality conditions.
Schools in the affected areas are advised to monitor the latest air quality conditions and follow the Valley Air District's Outdoor Activity Guidance for Schools to help safeguard student health. For the latest fire and air quality information, visit fire.airnow.gov.
The potential for air quality impacts will remain until the fire is extinguished and smoke conditions diminish.
Newport Road is currently closed between Sunny Acres Avenue and W. East Avenue. Residents and motorists are asked to avoid the area until the fire is extinguished and to allow emergency crews room to safely respond to the incident.
Updated road closure and incident information is available at PerimeterMap.
