Smoke in Mt. Shasta from Klamathon Fire

Likely there is smoke from Grants Pass to Redding from Klamathon Fire about now. The winds shifted last night and the smoke came to Mt. Shasta instead of Medford and Ashland and points east. So, likely because of smoke and altitude it would be best for me to head south to San Francisco. Because the combination of the altitude and smoke doesn't work for me very well. So, likely I will be heading south today because of this. As far as I know from checking Caltrans site regarding interstate 5 it's open from Yreka to Ashland now in all lanes both directions.

If you are traveling through smoke especially at altitude if you live at sea level like I do now it is important to turn your air recycle on and your air conditioner to lesson any breathing problems you will have driving through heavy smoke if you have to. Otherwise try to avoid traveling through heavy smoke from fires if you are not used to being around big fires of 5000 acres or more where you live.

You don't want to end up in the hospital for a night on oxygen like my wife did in a fire at 6000 feet at Lake Tahoe about 15 years ago now because she thought she could carry luggage up three flights of stairs to our hotel room in heavy smoke. So, be careful in smoke anywhere above about 1000 to 2000 feet because it can get very very serious especially at altitudes of 6000 feet or more in smoke. Since I have been around smoke a lot during summers living in Mt. Shasta from 1976 off and on through 1992 I know you have to really slow down your pace around smoke or you just end up in the hospital on Oxygen or just dead or miserable for a few days until the smoke clears.

Later that evening after returning home.

While we were heading south to the SF BAY AREA my son was heading north up Interstate 5 to portland, Oregon. What he said was interesting. He said that the smoke was really terrible up to the Mt. Ashland pass and there was evidence of the fire on grass and trees everywhere going up to the Ashland Pass on Interstate 5. He was having trouble breathing and even seeing the road and was getting worried about what was going to happen to him until suddenly the smoke cleared. So, the barrier of the mountains seems to be keeping the smoke to the east and the south of Mt. Ashland pass on Interstate 5.

My experience driving south was there was smoke in Mt. Shasta City, Dunsmuir and to a lesser degree in Redding too and then a lesser degree in Red Bluff too. By Williams it was completely clear and we could see the Sierras clearly to our left but smokey towards Clear Lake where we could still see at least  smoke plume rising and the smoke making it difficult to see the foothills near Clear lake at all.

By the time we reached Sacramento it was completely clear pretty much and remained that way down to Stockton.

Also 95 to 100 degree temperatures were from Red Bluff to Stockton all the way.