Expect 'Unhealthy' Air Quality For Next 2 Days In San Gabriel Valley, Nearby

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, CA – While fire crews are making progress in their battle against the raging Sand Fire, health officials warned that because of smoke from the blaze, air quality was expected to remain bad in the area for the next two days.

County health officials said air will be unhealthy for everyone in the Santa Clarita, San Fernando and Antelope valleys and the San Gabriel Mountains.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a smoke advisory until midnight Thursday for portions of the Santa Clarita Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains. The agency urged residents in those areas to stay indoors, and to avoid using swamp coolers or wood-burning appliances.

Health officials urged people living or working in the Santa Clarita, Antelope and San Gabriel valleys and the San Gabriel Mountains with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions to minimize outdoor activities.

Related: Sand Fire: More Drone Woes; State Of Emergency Issued; Animal Fundraisers Underway; Containment At 40% [Wednesday Update]

And also from today's health desk: Do You Get Annual Flu Shot? May Be A Shock, But Majority Of Californians Don't: New Study

--City News Service/Photo via Los Angeles County Fire from day 3 at the Sand Fire taken along Soledad Canyon near Camp 11. Courtesy of VPP Craig Durling