With heavy smoke hanging in the air around North Central Florida, county health officials are urging people to stay indoors. Alachua County Health Department Medical Executive Director John Colon says even the healthiest person can expect to see some side effects from the smoke.
He says those with allergy or respiratory problems are especially susceptible to the smoke in the air and can face more severe symptoms, although there are some precautionary steps that would help.
Although the smoke is expected to continue in the coming days, Colon says the county is not yet prepared to issue any alert. He says it would take many days of severe conditions, where the county sees an increased demand on medical services because of the smoke, to issue any official warning.