This year’s wildland fire/smoke season has impacted the Eastern Sierra late in what is now an extended fire season—similar to last year.

As of late Friday morning, only Bishop and Mono Lake are rated as “unhealthy” for particulate matter from the Mosquito Fire burning in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

According to the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control Board’s data, Bishop and the Mono
Lake regions are rated as unhealthy with relatively high PM 2.5 (indicating the size of the
particulate matter). Lee Vining has a moderate rating.

Here are Great Basin’s advisories for those ratings:
Moderate: air quality is acceptable, however, for some pollutants there may be moderate
health concerns for those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

Unhealthy: Increased aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons
with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly; increased respiratory effects in the general
population.