Fires continue to grow across state

NORTH COUNTY — The air quality on Friday for North County is “very unhealthy” due to smoke from fires burning in the state, according to the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District.

Air quality improved to moderate for the rest of the county. SLOCAPCD’s air quality alert remains in effect through Friday.

Local weather forecasters expect daytime highs to trend down this weekend, but don’t see the air quality improving dramatically until the fires wane.

Nearly 400 fires are burning in the state with the four largest — SCU Lightning Complex, LNU Lightning Complex, CZU August and the River Fire — all burning in the Napa, San Jose, Santa Cruz and Salinas areas.

Nearly 11,000 lightning strikes sparked 367 wildfires this week in California, according to a Cal Fire spokesman.

The four active incidents have combined to burn nearly 550,000 acres.

The SCU complex is burning in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties — 229,968 acres burned and 10 percent contained.

The LNU complex is burning in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Solano counties — 219,067 acres burned and 7 percent contained.

CZU August is burning in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties — 50,000 acres burned and 0 percent contained.

The River Fire is burning in Monterey County — 39,464 acres burned and 9 percent contained.

For more information on these and other fires in the state, visit online www.fire.ca.gov.