Tucson Region

Tucson seems safe from Mt. Graham smoke

The state began monitoring the air near Safford on Wednesday for pollution from the wildfires on Mount Graham, but the air over the Phoenix and Tucson areas has not been affected, government officials said. "We continue to monitor the major metropolitan areas, but we haven't seen any significant smoke import into those areas yet," said Cortland Coleman, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality spokesman. Since the start of the fires 75 miles northeast of Tucson, wind directions have been favorable to Tucson, said Beth Gorman of the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality. "But that could change overnight." If winds were to shift and bring smoke over the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucsonans would notice decreased visibility and the scent of smoke, Gorman said. In that case, those at high risk for lung problems, including asthmatic, elderly and young people, should reduce exposure to the polluted air. Last year's Aspen Fire on Mount Lemmon affected Pima County's air quality for about 10 days, causing a rise in visits to health-care facilities for breathing problems, Gorman said. But Brian Francis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said it's unlikely that Tucson will see a repeat of that from the Mount Graham fires. "With a high degree of certainty, Tucson proper should not be affected," he said. "Air flows now can either be from the south or southwest, and because Mount Graham is northeast of us, we're upstream." Pima County residents may stay abreast of air quality warnings through the county Environmental Quality Department's Web site: www.airinfonow.org