The devastating fires in Wine Country, Butte and Yuba Counties, and the Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests can clearly be seen in Redding in the form of smoke that has again been settling into the head of the Sacramento River Valley. Public health officials have issued warnings about the effects of prolonged smoke exposure. The air quality monitor in Anderson has been consistently showing a reading that’s “unhealthy for sensitive groups”. Tuesday afternoon it reached a range considered unhealthy for everyone. It’s much worse closer to the fires, with a monitor in Sebastopol showing the air to be “very unhealthy”. Concentrations in the Redding area seem to be especially thick in lower-lying areas. Anyone in heavy smoke areas should avoid spending too much time outside, particularly doing hard work or other activities that cause exertion. That especially applies to those with respiratory or heart conditions, pregnant women, the very young, and the very old. Doors and windows should be closed and air conditioners should be set on “re-circulate”.