Is there a fire in Orange County? Why you may be smelling smoke Friday

Some Orange County residents may have been smelling smoke early on Friday, July 17, with no obvious source.

A small vegetation fire that started at Camp Pendleton on Thursday, July 16, “was largely responsible for smoke impacts in Orange County,” the South Coast Air Quality Management District said in an email to the USA TODAY Network.

It comes like this Thorn Fire More than 1,200 acres have burned in San Diego County since it failed on Wednesday, July 15.

South Coast AQMD says smoke from the fire at Camp Pendleton increased last night and this morning. But smoke impacts in Orange County are “expected to diminish over the next few hours” as winds are out of the west, according to South Coast AQMD.

On July 16, the fire department responded to a vegetation fire on the northwest side of the base, Camp Pendleton said. Road closures triggered by the fire have since been lifted, according to Camp Pendleton.

What is the air quality near me?

People can check their area’s air quality index at: airnow.gov.

Air quality across much of Orange County remains moderate on the Air Quality Index as of Friday morning, July 17. South Coast AQMD said on its website that windblown ash particles can be too large to be detected by air quality devices and as a result are not reflected on the AQI map. South Coast AQMD encourages people to take precautions if they see or smell smoke.

Where are the forest fires? See the CA fire map

See the smoke map

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. reach out to him pbarraza@usatodayco.com.

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Fire in Orange County? Why might you smell smoke on Friday?