Smoked Out in the Biggest Little City
From the Washoe County School District and the University of Nevada, Reno, canceling classes today, to Reno having the worst air quality in the United States right now, we are all feeling smoked out.
Residents are talking about smoke-related class action lawsuits against California, where the fires tend to start. Others are wondering when our smoke forecasts will become better or what car/home/office air purifiers they should buy. Students are complaining about their raspy voices and headaches. A UNR professor is tweeting with graph-accompanied writeups like this: “Here's inside one classroom where PM2.5 (downward LRAPA smoke adj) peaked yesterday at 350 (Hazardous) and was Unhealthy for Everyone for two consecutive 6-hour periods during the workday.”
We had an enjoyable summer and thought we might have escaped a 2022 version of smokapocalypse, but then the Mosquito Fire hit just as the balloons were ascending, ruining what is usually weather-wise one of the best times of the year. The blaze is now nearing 60,000 acres. Containment is being reported at 20%, sadly still below the threshold for a quick end in sight.
Our zine (hot of the presses on the right) will be distributed during an in-person event still on tonight at the Radical Cat (details on the left). It includes our 2022 Heroes of Reno selection and highlights of our yearly reporting.
This past week, in addition to photos and social media videos on the smoke, we reported on the Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada and on a local exploration for Free Little Libraries.
Our weekly podcast is with Accept Reno, helping marginalized communities get access to health care.