Lake Tahoe’s famed blue waters are tragically shrouded in thick grey smoke from the nearby Caldor fire. The wildfires this year have destroyed a record number of acres of forests, and have come perilously close to many communities.
Now with fires within thirty miles of the lake itself, residents and visitors alike claim that smoke has never been as bad as it is now. Indeed, the AQI, or Air Quality Index for the area reached a record 530, which is over 40 times more harmful than the World Health Organization deems ‘unhealthy’, and ranked among the worst air quality in the world.
Grimly, the hazardous conditions didn’t stop some people from carrying on as usual, like going golfing and visiting the neighboring casinos.
Here’s hoping the terrible conditions this year will spur more action to combat climate change and keep these wildfires from being business as usual.
