Red alert ends, barely

Friday, Jan. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The Washoe District Health Department said the only people who should even think about lighting a fire were those with absolutely no other source of heat.

Wood stoves were banned on Friday when the air quality edged into the unhealthful range. By afternoon, it had slipped a notch below to 98. It's unhealthful at 100.

Light winds helped clean things up a little.

This time of year often sees bad air over the Reno-Sparks area because of cold air inversions and wood smoke. Things are even worse this year because of all the dust being kicked up from mud left by last week's flooding.

The health district asks people to avoid muddy streets, to cut down on car trips and to forget fires altogether.

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