Experts advise staying indoors

The acrid stench of smoke and the sight of snowing ash replaced the scents of ocean air and the salt water spray at Corona del Mar’s main beach Monday.

No one manned the guard gate at the parking lot entrance, and the beach was largely deserted, but some people, unfazed by the imminent fire danger and unhealthy air, went about their business.

Leslie Edson, who lives across from the beach on Breakers Drive, walked her two dogs.

She spent the morning cleaning black ash from her yard, and said there were “big size chunks of it,” besides the small pieces she could see floating to the sidewalk.

Edson described the fire and sunset the night before as “really striking,” with orange and palm trees overshadowed by black clouds of smoke.

“Is this the end of the world?” she asked her two teenagers, who took pictures with their cell phones on the balcony.

The surf was much larger than normal, Edson said, and she wondered if it had to do with an offshore breeze battling the Santa Ana winds.

Michelle and Dave Britton were on the sand, enjoying the big waves and the toasty warm feel of the air Monday.

The couple was on vacation this week from Colorado, where the temperature this morning was a frosty 30 degrees.

“I’d rather be out here breathing this at the beach than in the snow,” Michelle Britton said.

That is not, however, what health experts would advise people to do.

Michael Kleinman, co-director of the Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory at UC Irvine, said the fine particles in fire smoke can be extremely irritating to the respiratory tract, accelerate asthma symptoms and affect people with heart problems.

“Particles and gases that are being generated as part of the smoke will penetrate very deep into the lungs and cause irritation and inflammation,” Kleinman said.

Kleinman recommends people avoid physical activity and stay indoors with the windows closed. Air conditioning helps to filter the air, he added.

Dr. Dan Cooper, professor of pediatrics and chief of pediatric pulmonology at the UCI Medical Center, said children and people with respiratory problems are the most vulnerable.

“Kids who have asthma should probably be wearing masks,” he said, adding that staying hydrated is also important “with this really lousy air plus the whole situation of heat.”

Rusty Chronister, a mail carrier in Corona del Mar, began his route at 10:30 a.m. and by 1:30 p.m. was feeling the effects of the smoke.

The post office gave the carriers masks to wear, but Chronister didn’t want to wear one.

“It’s harder to breathe, my eyes and mouth are dry, and I’m drinking a lot more water, but I gotta keep going,” he said.

Golfers at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club didn’t seem bothered by the air.

Steve Shilling was supposed to play in a tournament in Temecula that was canceled because of the fire, and since he had the day off anyway he decided to play 18 holes at the Costa Mesa course.

The air didn’t bother him at all, he said, and five hours of golf “beats working.”

Todd Garbella of Costa Mesa had been on the course since 10 a.m., and said since “you have to be crazy to play this game,” the air wasn’t a problem.

He played 18 holes, and while the air quality didn’t bother him at all, he did admit the wind may have affected his game.

Matt and Rebecca Sloan arrived in Costa Mesa Monday to stay with her mother, after being evacuated from their home near Modjeska Canyon.

The Sloans stayed there as long as they could, then packed up their 1-year old daughter, wedding rings, some clothes, their two computers — which included all of their family photos — and headed out.

Matt Sloan said he doesn’t think the family will be getting back home too soon, but he got his family out, and that’s what important.

“Everything else is just stuff,” he said.

Debra Berg, who works in the deli department at the Vons in the Mesa Verde Center, also appeared nonchalant about the smoke as she took a break from work Monday. She noted that she is a smoker.

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From the County of Orange Health Care Agency:

1) Residents of areas affected by drifting smoke should limit outdoor activity and physical exertion

2) Keep the windows and doors in your home closed, and use your air conditioner on the re-circulate mode, if available, to limit the intake of outdoor air and keep your home comfortable.

3) Seek medical attention if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or severe fatigue.

4) Follow an asthma management plan, making sure those with asthma have at least a five-day supply of medication on hand.

5) Drink plenty of water; don’t wait until you are thirsty.

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at sue.thoensen@latimes.com.