SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Two parts of San Diego County are facing different circumstances but the same issue: air quality problems. Smoke from fires in Orange County is affecting Escondido, while sewage odors are troubling Imperial Beach.
“It’s questionable,” Robert Carr of Escondido said.
“It’s just getting worse,” Bobbi Otero of Imperial Beach added.
Some Escondido residents experienced a sight familiar to Northern Californians — ash on their cars and outdoor grills. In the distance, billowing black smoke from fires in Orange County could be seen from the highway.
“I’m just getting over a cold, but I could see the dark clouds and dark smoke from up north. So I’ve been riding with my buff over my face to try to keep my lungs clean,” Carr said.
While North County residents deal with smoke, about an hour south in Imperial Beach, residents are coping with foul odors from a long-standing sewage problem.
“Wake up in the mornings, and it is really bad,” Otero said. “It kind of clears out during the day. But at night, between 6 and 9 p.m., it starts to smell again, so we close up the house.”
On Monday, UC San Diego researchers reported finding alarming levels of toxic gases in South Bay neighborhoods. However, on Tuesday, County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas said a Hazardous Incident Response Team found no immediate public safety concerns.
“As Chairwoman, I want to reassure everyone that this is not an imminent threat, and it’s safe to be outside and attend school,” Vargas said in a statement. “Our county experts are actively gathering public health data and conducting research to provide the most accurate information. It’s unacceptable that South County residents have to worry about whether it’s safe to go outside. I’m fighting every day to address the root of this issue, but for now, you can trust the data — we’ve got your back.”
ABC 10News reached out to the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District for comments on the air quality concerns in different parts of the county but was told no one was available Tuesday.
Back in North County, residents say that while the air quality is poor, it could be worse.
“I’m just thankful we don’t have the Santa Anas blowing because that brings in a different crop of pollens when it blows from the east,” Carr said. “There have been worse days than this.”
