Huntington Beach firefighters help with blazes

Huntington Beach lacks the dry brush that has caught fire in at least a dozen places throughout the Southland this week, but that doesn’t mean the city isn’t feeling some effects of the flames.

Huntington Beach firefighters are in the thick of the action trying to get neighboring areas’ blazes under control. And the effect of the widespread burning is felt here, as Santa Ana winds blow unhealthy smoke and ash through the air.

The city has been sending firefighters out to help since Sunday morning, Battalion Chief Bob Brown said. The first batch of rescue workers battled a conflagration in Malibu all day till it was mostly contained, then rushed south to Santiago Canyon near northeast Irvine to try to stop a raging arson fire.

The first crew only got relieved of duty Monday evening, Brown said.

“They probably haven’t slept in 40 hours,” Brown said Monday night. “We sent a relief crew about two hours ago.”

There were 12 firefighters and a battalion chief at the Santiago blaze Monday evening, he added.

As Southern California continues to burn because of dry conditions and gusting Santa Ana winds, tiny particles in the air from smoke and ash have reached unhealthy levels in coastal Orange County, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

That means those with heart or lung disease, the elderly, and children should not exert themselves outside, and everyone else should avoid doing so for too long.

Inside, keep windows and doors closed, and use an air conditioner if you have one, the Environmental Protection Agency advises. Avoid lighting candles, fireplaces or gas stoves indoors, and do not vacuum.