New Year's Festivities Extend Air Quality Advisory In Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NV - It's fun to sit back and welcome a new year by watching fireworks explode over the beautiful Las Vegas skyline but it's easy to forget there's some blowback from the spectacle - literally. The increased likelihood of fine particles in the air this weekend from fireworks across the Las Vegas valley has led Clark County Air Quality Control to extend the air quality advisory through Jan. 2.

The smoke from the firework displays and stagnant conditions across the valley could make fine particles more present in the air, the department said. It's advised that anybody with respiratory issues take precautions and talk to your doctor if necessary.

"Small particles and smoke can aggravate respiratory diseases. People who may be most sensitive to elevated levels fine particles include individuals with respiratory problems, cardiac disease, young children or senior citizens. Consult your physician if you have a medical condition that makes you sensitive to air quality conditions," Air Quality officials said in a release.

The department recommends the following tips to avoid exposure to fine particles in the air:

• Limit outdoor activity while there is an advisory in effect
• Keeps windows and doors closed in your home if an advisory is in effect
• Run heater inside your home to filer out fine particles
• Check and change indoor air filters if necessary
• Limit wood burning

Image via Joe Cavaretta/Associated Press