County officials issued a health advisory this weekend after a gust of wind swept in smoke from the ongoing Santa Ynez Valley fire and some leftover ashes from this past summer’s Zaca blaze.

The Zaca Fire’s remaining ashes began falling over Isla Vista on Saturday, while the Santa Ynez Valley smoke started yesterday. The current fire, located northeast of Figueroa Mountain at the Sedgwick Reserve, has resulted in the burning of over 400 acres.

In response to the smoke and falling ash, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Dept. has advised the public to refrain from going outside and to keep doors and windows closed.

In a press release issued yesterday, County Health Officer Dr. Elliot Schulman advised residents with respiratory problems to take extra caution.

“As always when air quality is considered unhealthful, people with asthma or other respiratory diseases or heart conditions should monitor their health conditions and consult with their health care providers if their symptoms worsen,” Schulman said.

With regards to the Zaca Fire ashes, Santa Barbara County Public Health Dept. spokesman Michele Mickiewicz said that the debris may continue to fall over places such as I.V. at various times throughout the year.

“It will be an issue for quite some time,” Mickiewicz said. “The ash is just laying there dry. The winds blew up to a tremendous velocity yesterday, up to 75 miles per hour. All the ash is just lying on the ground and it gets blown up. This will be an issue until we get some heavy rain that can wash away most of that.”

The Zaca Fire, which began on July 4th as the result of malfunctioning ranch equipment, burned 240,207 acres at the Los Padres National Forest and was contained on Sept. 2. The dry ash leftover from the fire remained sedentary until recent high velocity winds spread them throughout the county.

Additionally, county officials have warned the public that smoke from a fire in Ventura County near Piru may also blow into Santa Barbara and Goleta this week.

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