The Brief

Angelenos still bothered by the smell of smoke may be surprised to see that Air Quality Index numbers returned to “healthy” or “moderate” levels this week in L.A. County, but they shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.

Public health officials and experts say the AQI, while helpful, fails to fully account for the health risks associated with destructive urban fires and high winds.

That’s because AQI is calculated based on common air pollutants like tiny particulate matter and smog, but it doesn’t quantify the exact level of specific toxic particles currently in the air — things like asbestos, copper, or lead from structures that have burned.

“The AQI is not reliable for this situation,” said Anthony Wexler, director of the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California-Davis. “And you can't see it. So looking around and saying, ‘Oh, it looks, looks clear.’ That doesn't tell you anything.”

To understand the health risks and stay safe, residents need to consider more than just the AQI metric, like the toxicity of the smoke and ash coming into their neighborhoods.

Rather than relying solely on the Air Quality Index, Wexler recommends checking out PurpleAir Map, which tells you where the plumes of smoke are in real time.

"If the plume is where you are or heading towards you, then take measures to protect yourself,” he said.

Local health officials have provided full lists of guidance on how to minimize your health risks.

What’s the AQI?

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, is the primary system used to warn the public when air pollution is dangerous. It’s based on data collected from 5,000 air monitors across the country. The index ranges from 0 to 500 and uses a color coded system:

A guide to AQI's numerical and color-based scale.

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AirNow.Gov

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As of Monday evening, the AQI was between 30 and 60 throughout L.A. County — in the “good” or “moderate” range — according to data from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

That might seem counterintuitive to many in the Los Angeles area, particularly near Pacific Palisades on the westside and Altadena in the east, where firefighters are still working to extinguish massive fires.

What AQI doesn’t measure 

The AQI measures particulate matter in the air, but it doesn’t measure how toxic those particles are, Wexler said. It doesn’t measure the specific amount of plastic, copper, lead, or asbestos you’re breathing when you step outside.

“The particles and gases in the air right now are much more toxic than normal because they are from burning houses which have all kinds of stuff which we don't usually have in our air,” Wexler said. “And that stuff is bound to be much more toxic than what's usually in the air.”

It also fails to account for most ash particles, which are typically too large to be detected by air quality instruments, but contain the toxic chemicals and may cause health problems, experts said.

“The wind is spreading a lot of ash that is not detected in AQI,” said Nahal Mogharabi, who works with the South Coast Air Quality Management District. “These ash particles… are typically visible to the naked eye, either in the air or on outdoor surfaces.”

The toxic chemicals in the ash are the same ones that are in the smoke.

“There's a lot of chemicals involved — things like the plastics, toxic metals, asbestos,” said Mary Johnson, a research scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “A lot of things in our environment, when they do combust, they can be toxic.”

So even when the AQI looks “good,” Angelenos could still be exposed to materials that are harmful to their health.

“There's just tons of stuff out there and all the black smoky crap — that's really bad stuff to be inhaling,” Wexler said.

Other metrics

According to the experts, one reason AQI levels had returned to normal early this week was because the fires were producing less smoke.

“Smoke production from the Eaton and Palisades fires has decreased significantly as evident from satellite imagery, webcam imagery, and local fine particle pollution monitors,” Mogharabi said. “This unfortunately may change as strong Santa Ana winds return to the area.”

L.A. County residents should take precautions whenever they smell smoke, see ash, or are in an area with high AQI levels. That means don’t exercise, keep your kids indoors, strap on your N95 mask and plug in your air filter.

The county Department of Public Health, which declared a local health emergency for L.A. County late Friday, says the risks are especially high if you have heart or lung conditions, are over 65, are pregnant or have children.

And when it comes to using your senses to detect health risks, it’s slightly better to follow your nose than rely on what you see.

“A better metric is your smell,” Wexler said. “Because you can smell it before you can see it. And so if it smells like smoke, it's there or it's coming.”

Winds will make things worse 

Winds are expected to pick up Tuesday, but aren’t likely to be as strong as last week when they reached speeds of between 80 and 100 mph. The National Weather Service is warning of wind gusts between 55 and 70 mph this week.

A red flag warning is in effect throughout wide swaths of L.A. and Ventura counties Tuesday morning and will continue through Wednesday.

Public health officials say it’s hard to predict where ash will travel or how air quality will be affected by harsh winds, but L.A. County residents should be alert. Those who are closer to the ongoing wildfires are generally at increased risk of breathing in toxins, but wind direction is also a major factor.

In short, it's better if the wind is blowing away from you.

“Smoke and ash can harm everyone, even those who are healthy,” said Muntu Davis, health officer for L.A. County.

Waymos sometimes feel like they’re all over many parts of Los Angeles, but the vast majority of Angelenos haven’t been quick to adopt the new technology.

About 5% of L.A. County residents have taken a driverless vehicle in the last year, compared to about 28% who used ridehailing apps like Uber and Lyft, according to the results of a USC survey published Thursday.

Sociologist Kyla Thomas directs the LABarometer survey, which measures the habits and wellbeing of L.A. County residents, and decided to add questions about driverless vehicle use for the first time since the driverless cars became open to the public in November 2024 — largely out of curiosity.

“Certainly in my neighborhood in Culver City, I see Waymos everywhere,” Thomas said. “But when you look at the whole county population, how many people are actually using it?”

Why not Waymo?

The survey found that slightly more people felt safe using a ridehailing app versus a robotaxi — 12% versus 9% — but 27% of people feel safe driving themselves.

“Waymos have not reached, in terms of safety, the comfort level that people feel in their own car,” Thomas said.

LAist has reached out to Waymo for comment, but hasn't heard back.

Thomas also mentioned convenience and availability as reasons why people aren’t taking Waymos — the cars don’t yet serve any major airports, let alone operate in the San Fernando or San Gabriel valleys, Southeast L.A., and most of the rest of L.A. County. Waymo doesn’t yet have any robotaxi competitors offering rides to the public in the region.

 “Currently, Waymo's coverage area is not as wide as Uber or Lyft, and so as that expands, we might see Waymo use expand,” Thomas said. “I'm very curious to see how this evolves.”

One of the biggest reasons why Waymo and other ridehailing services don’t have more riders in L.A. won’t be a surprise: People overwhelmingly drive themselves. Of the survey’s respondents, 91% were drivers or passengers in private vehicles, by far the most common method of transportation.

For comparison, the next most-common category of transportation — walking, skateboards and kick scooters — was used by just 30% of survey respondents.

Other impressions of Waymo

Though people felt less safe in Waymos compared to cars with drivers in them, that perception flipped when people were asked about how safe they felt from harassment — at least for one major demographic.

“Women feel a lot safer in a Waymo compared to an Uber or Lyft,” Thomas said. “Men, we just see just a few percentage point difference in how they're perceiving these different modes.”

Thomas added that she’s already wondering whether Waymo use will become more common if its service area continues to expand.

“We see a small drop in use of traditional ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft in the last year,” Thomas said. “I wonder if Waymo is responsible for that — are we going to see Waymo slowly replace these?  Or how will perceptions of safety evolve? I'm very, very curious to keep tracking that.”

With students are out of school, district leaders across L.A. County are deciding whether to ask voters to approve property tax increases this November to fund repairs and renovations.

District governing boards have until Aug. 7 to call for ballot measures.

Even with a record number of school bonds and a $10 billion statewide bond approved in the 2024 election, many districts are still strapped for funding to repair aging infrastructure and update classrooms.

The Bellflower Unified School District Board voted unanimously in mid June to ask voters to approve a $135 million bond.

“ Schools are the heart of communities,” said Erin Simon, superintendent of the Southeast L.A. County district. “You want your school to be something that is aesthetically amazing and beautiful, and places that your kids want to come to, and places that your families want to send [their] kids to.”

For example, Bellflower High School just celebrated its 75th anniversary and its athletic facilities are showing their age. The district’s facilities master plan calls for new turf in the stadium and locker rooms that are more accessible for students with disabilities.

Simon said the master plan also identified the need for new roofs, restrooms, plumbing and electrical systems throughout the district.

At least three other L.A. County school districts have called for bond measures so far.

The 2026 Orange County Fair kicks off Friday and is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Costa Mesa. To help you best plan for the summer tradition, here’s everything you need to know about the 23-day fest.

Gates at the OC Event Center at 88 Fair Dr. open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays will have extended hours from 11 a.m. to midnight.

The fair ends Aug. 16.

What is there to see and do? 

Whether you're a thrill seeker, a foodie, or just there for the vibes, the fair should have something for everyone.

Dozens of carnival rides will include the return of Joker 360, which swings riders into the air while also spinning and flipping. You can also see the Dragon Knights Stilt Show, performers who spring into the air on stilts.

The Action Sports Arena will also feature motorists zipping around inside the Globe of Death and the demolition derby series will return. Tickets to the various shows can be found here.

You can also catch live music at The Hangar or the Pacific Amphitheater throughout the fair’s run. Concert tickets include same-day access to the fair.

El Pachuco Zoot Suit Fashion Show and Lowrider exhibit is a new addition to the fair that will pay homage to the Chicano community’s history, influence and style.

Fair food is a given. For a chance to try a little bit of everything, fairgoers can try the Taste of the Fair promotion, which offers a variety of delights for just $5 at participating booths.

Buying tickets 

Pre-sale tickets are discounted until Thursday, July 16.

Here’s how much regular tickets cost:

• General admission on Wednesday and Thursday: $13
• General admission on  Friday, Saturday and Sunday: $18
• Seniors ages 65 and up: $10
• Kids ages 6 through 12: $9 
• Kids ages 5 and younger can enter for free

Other admission options include the Every Day Passport. For $60, visitors can enter the fairgrounds every day, including sold-out dates. There are no blackout dates or restrictions.

What about transportation? 

There are many ways to get to the fair, but public transportation and rideshare are encouraged.

Parking is $15 for cars and motorcycles, and $30 for limos and buses.

Buses will transport fairgoers to and from one of six locations directly to the OC Fair between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Sundays. Rides are $2 each way. Your OC Fair tickets must be purchased in advance to ride.

A bonus for bookworms

Kids ages 5 through 11 who read three books can qualify for two free rides at the fair’s Kidland. Fill out this form to receive a QR code.

Irvine voters will have an important question at the ballot box in November: Do you want ranked-choice voting?

Late Tuesday, the City Council agreed to place a measure that would switch council and mayoral elections to the system in 2028, as long as the cost stays within certain parameters. Mayor Larry Agran and council members James Mai and Mike Carroll voted no.

If passed, Irvine would be one of two Orange County cities to have the system. It comes as a judge recently ordered Huntington Beach to use the method. Several California cities, like Redondo Beach in L.A. County, have implemented ranked-choice voting in recent years.

What Irvine’s vote does

Right now, Irvine uses the system voters recognize: You cast your vote for one candidate, and if they don’t reach a certain percentage, the race heads to a runoff where you vote again months later.

In November, Irvine voters will be asked about switching to ranked-choice voting. Councilmember Kathleen Treseder, who originally introduced the measure, says this will help stop special interests from using “spoiler candidates” to take votes away from someone they don’t want to win.

“I am confident that, if we have ranked-choice voting, it’s going to improve the voice of the voters and have better outcomes,” she said.

The Cal RCV Institute, a supporter of the measure, says it allows for fairer outcomes and more broadly-supported winners. Here's a visual guide to how it works:

Under the ordinance, ranked-choice voting could happen starting in 2028 — as long as Irvine can feasibly do it technically and financially. Money was a big concern in the council vote because the city’s growing deficit is projected to reach $47 million by the end of the decade.

If voters approve the measure, Irvine would have upfront costs, like redesigning its ballots, training staff and educating voters. (Some political organizations are expected to help with that.)

It’s not clear exactly how pricey switching could be, but the first time is expected to be more than what elections cost now. Council members ultimately compromised and put a hard cap into the measure.

If costs are estimated to go over 0.23% of the city’s general fund budget (that’s $710,000 today), ranked-choice voting would not be used at the next election. The estimated cost of each subsequent election would be checked until the cost is low enough for the city to switch.

Carroll, who voted no, called out the calculation method because it came from an advocacy group. He disagreed with basing the cap on a budget that hasn’t been decided yet.

“God bless them, they’re allowed to push it, but I want to be clear that this is lawyering that has no specificity,” he said.

The ballot measure would need a simple majority to pass — that’s 50% plus one vote — and it would be in effect until voters want to change it.

Irvine’s ballot would be designed to allow for at least five ranked choices, and you’d be able to rank write-in candidates as well.

Under the motion, preliminary vote tallies would still be released alongside results for other races.