Number of patients rises due to smoke

GLENDALE — Firefighters received a boost from calmer winds that helped officials douse three blazes that have charred more than 38,960 acres and caked parts of the region in a thin layer of ash.

The more hospitable conditions for firefighters helped increase the quality of air that had been dangerously unhealthy because of toxic pollutants in the wake of fires in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Orange counties, officials said.

But Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, warned that the respite could be temporary if winds that had initially helped flames whip through the hills above Los Angeles and the surrounding region return.

On Monday, the district listed air quality for a wide of swath of Los Angeles County, including Glendale and Burbank, as “unhealthy” due to a thin layer of patchy smoke in the air.

Conditions are expected to improve this week as the temperature falls and winds die down. Record-breaking heat last weekend that fueled fires is expected to give way to a high of 76 degrees today, according to the National Weather Service.

The district downgraded its air quality assessment Tuesday to “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” meaning those with existing heart or lung conditions and asthmatics should not exercise strenuously outdoors, Atwood said.

But the damage from flying particulate matter and floating toxins have given rise to an increase in the number of patients at area hospitals.

At Glendale Memorial Hospital and Glendale Adventist Medical Center, officials reported a 20% jump in patients who complained of respiratory troubles.

Most of the new patients that streamed in last weekend and Monday were young children and older residents whose ability to withstand respiratory problems may not be as strong as others breathing in the harsh atmospheric conditions, said David Han, a Glendale Adventist physician.

“Pediatrics breathe more heavily, and seniors don’t have as strong a defense mechanism,” he said. “And people who smoke have poor lung capacity.”

Most of the patients admitted since fires broke out in Sylmar and Chino Hills did not require extended stays, though doctors did issue certain warnings to patients and those wishing to steer clear of the hospital.

Edmund Noll, a Glendale Memorial physician, said masks that cover one’s mouth should be worn if exposed to smoky conditions, but residents should stay inside with air conditioning to lessen the impact of unhealthy air.