Where there’s smoke ...

Wildfire sends ash and smoke drifting downwind, making for unhealthy air in much of the county.A wildfire that continued to burn in northeastern Orange County late Wednesday made for smelly, smoky air in Newport-Mesa. Hot Santa Ana winds carried ash and smoke miles from the site of the fire in the Cleveland National Forest.

The air was so polluted that officials issued a respiratory hazard warning for all of Orange and parts of Los Angeles counties.

The winds, combined with low humidity and hot temperatures, resulted in a red-flag -- fire weather -- warning for the Santa Ana foothills and mountains.

A high of 90 degrees was recorded at John Wayne Airport on Thursday. Temperatures were lower at the beaches -- Newport Beach reported a high of 70, said Noel Isla, a National Weather Service forecaster.

An offshore flow kept temperatures up and humidity low Thursday, but a cooling trend is expected later in the week.

From the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa to Newport Beach’s Fashion Island, the air was heavy with the smell of smoke. Thick, grey clouds blotted out the northeastern sky, and a thin film of smoky air lingered nearly everywhere in Newport-Mesa.

The wildfire, which reportedly had burned more than 7,000 acres, broke out Monday, but the smoke became most noticeable in Newport-Mesa Wednesday.

“When you have these large wildfires, the pollutants tend to build up from day to day,” said Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

For the second day in a row, the Orange County Healthcare Agency and the air quality management district issued separate smoke advisories for Orange County.

The wildfire caused highly concentrated pollutants to be released into the air, bringing air quality to unhealthy levels throughout the county, Atwood said.

“It’s particularly dangerous for susceptible populations,” Atwood said.

Children, the elderly and those with heart and lung conditions should take precautions, Atwood said.

The Healthcare Agency advised citizens to keep windows and doors closed and use an air conditioner to recirculate the air. People should drink lots of water and contact a doctor if they experience pain or tightness in the chest or severe fatigue.20060209iue71bncKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)The sun sets behind a fisherman on the Newport Harbor jetty Tuesday. Smoke from wildfires makes for bad air and good sunsets.