[Esip-envirosensing] Call follow-up -- Washington Post piece on Cal fires, air quality monitoring issues

[Vicky Kelly]

Is there a way to develop an app or website for people to know where spot
fires have started? And possibly wind speed and direction? Residents use a
mish mash of social media, telephone, ham radio, tin cans & string... to
communicate with each other. Ok, maybe not that last one. They don't
necessarily pay attention to authorities. In one area in Mendocino Co, an
area under mandatory evacuation was changed later to warning -area may be
evacuated - a head scratcher. The scary thing is that people could
interpret a mandatory evacuation to mean that they should wait because the
status could change.
Anyway, thoughts? There would need to be a system for identifying
validation.
Air quality info is also so important.
Thanks.
Vicky Kelly

On Wed, Nov 6, 2019 at 10:29 PM frazmo via Esip-envirosensing <
esip-envirosensing at lists.esipfed.org> wrote:

> At yesterday's call I mentioned 9in the chat box) an article in The
> Washington Post that discussed the challenges of providing timely,
> spatially and temporally relevant information about air quality during
> California's wildfires. Among other issues, the cuts to the power grid were
> killing air quality monitors at very bad times. Also, the existing
> monitoring network doesn't provide adequate resolution to inform local
> residents of dynamically changing air quality during fires. The article
> also mentions the interesting PurpleAir project.
>
> A link too the article is below. Apologies in advance for any problems
> with the Post's paywall! Cheers,
>
> Steve Young, EPA (Retired)
>
>
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/04/when-power-went-out-during-californias-wildfires-air-quality-monitors-turned-off-too/
>
> _______________________________________________
> Esip-envirosensing mailing list
> Esip-envirosensing at lists.esipfed.org
> https://lists.esipfed.org/mailman/listinfo/esip-envirosensing
>


-- 
Victoria R. Kelly
<http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-are/people-cary/victoria-kelly>
Manager, Environmental Monitoring Program
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Phone 1-845-677-7600 ext. 174
Email kellyv at caryinstitute.org
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