Sorry my friend, but where I live in Montana during most summers we now have what is called wildfire season, an aftermath of 40 years of poor federal forest management. Scrub brush and digger pine put some noxious stuff into the air like free creosote and all sorts of both acid and alkaline chemicals in the ash that are released from burning pitch.
All AQI measures is particulation, and that's bad enough - but those particle are heavily laden with the chemicals that burn lung tissue.The body's amazing emergency response system heals the tiny capillary-sized burn spots by delivering blood-borne calcium, and making little dams of calcium over the chedmically burned holes in our lungs, even before we can cough up blood.
The alkaline chemicals are worse than the acids. Acids break down quicker. When healed, the little micro-dams, shall we call them, of calcium have kept the lung tissue from leaking the blood that the lungs expose to air for the oxygen CO2 exchange, but that exchange can no longer take place - ever again - where calcium covers the places where the exchange takes place.
Result: Your breathing is permanently, irretrievably impaired to whatever degree the individual is exposed. Physical activity heightens the susceptibility.. An accountant working in an air-conditioned office probably wouldn't notice but an active outdoorsman (as I was, not that long ago) or athlete would - especially if he had prior respiratory issues.
Picture Puka Nacua, for one,hooked to an oxygen hose at night to get sleep as I do, but unablke to carry out a norman day's activities, much les play football or enjoy any physical activities with his friends because his lungs were irretrievably damaged by being a hero and playing football in wildfire smoke.
My calcified lungs attest to what I'm saying here:
Wildfire smoke is bad for you.Wildfire smoke has made my damaged lungs measureably worse, and our local AQI newver reached what is reported in LA. We've had high levels that make us stay indoors or mask up with a charcoal filter industrial model canister mask, but not in the 300's. Even at that, the exposure is inevitable.
And I want to emphasise this:
The damage is cumulative.My plea to the league:
Move the game to a safe venue. And to the fans:
It's the right thing to do. Roll with it.
And
STAY OUT OF THE SMOKE.We know some wonderful people both in LA in the past two days and here in Montana over the years, who've lost their homes to wildfires. My prayers are with them and all of you in the Los Angeles area.
