SALT LAKE CITY — If you look out your window Monday in the Salt Lake area, you may not have the same view as usual.
The view of the Wasatch Mountains on Monday afternoon was barely visible for some time, but officials said it was most likely because of smoke from the Hastings Fire, being blown east from Tooele County.
People in the community, like Joshua Shutkind, started to take notice.
“It’s like we’re trapped in this bowl of smoke, and that’s really stressful,” Shutkind said from Wasatch Community Garden.
In the midst of work, he couldn’t help but notice the haze glooming over the city.
“That’s what we love so much, looking out at the mountain. So it’s tragic on a day like this to see all this haze because one of the reasons I love coming up to this garden so much is looking up and seeing that view of the Wasatch,” Shutkind added.
Further south, air quality is also at the top of experts' minds. Kerry Kelly, the co-founder of Tellus, an air quality monitoring company, said the impact from wildfire smoke is worse compared to last year.
“To the south and west, we’ve got the Iron Fire in Eureka, and that’s right now affecting air quality south of Provo, Springville area, but with winds shifting, things are changing really quickly,” Kelly said.
WATCH: Officials give update on Iron Fire
Even if you’re young and healthy, Kelly said it’s important to reduce your exposure to the poor air quality because it can eventually lead to adverse health effects.
“With these local fires, air quality can be quite different in pretty short distances, so you might be able to escape it and be safer. The other thing is, air quality is generally better inside, especially if you have some kind of central HVAC system,” Kelly said.
As the thick smoke continues to impact local communities, people are becoming wary of the upcoming summer months.
“We’re watching every year, the fight against wildfires getting more and more difficult and more and more close to home. I think these fires in particular were extremely emotional and scary because of how close they got,” Shutkind said.
Conditions can change quickly, so it’s important to check the air quality in your area often.
