Campus, Long Beach, News

A hazy shade of CSULB

This story has been updated.

Clusters of ash rained down from a burnt-auburn sky and gathered into scattered piles around Cal State Long Beach Monday afternoon. As students walked hastily along the halls, some brushed the debris off of their shoulders while others attempted to shield their lungs from the thickening air.

A brush fire broke out Monday morning in the Anaheim Hills area and along the 91 Freeway in the Coal Canyon area. The fire jumped over onto the California 241 toll road, warranting evacuations for areas south of the 91 Freeway and west of California 241 toll road, north of Nohl Ranch Road and east of Serrano Avenue and was dubbed Canyon Fire 2. According to KTLA 5, by Tuesday, the fire had advanced to 7,500 acres taking numerous homes and buildings in its path. The fire resulted in the evacuation of over 5,000 homes. With the fire at 25 percent containment by Tuesday evening and evacuation orders in Anaheim are slated to be lifted by 7 p.m. following evacuation lifts for Tustin and Orange at 5 p.m.  

“There has been a campus-wide advisory to limit vigorous outdoor activity and to stay inside as much as possible,” said Pierre Gerber from the environmental health and safety department at CSULB.

Monday, smoke loomed heavily over the campus, causing all outdoor athletic practices to be cancelled. University Police Department dispatcher Binks said that they would be contacting facilities to mitigate fresh air for buildings on campus.

 

The smoke and ash was a hardship for students getting around a big campus.

“I live across the street and I ride my scooter to school usually. I noticed that my eyes were burning and I thought it was my allergies at first, but then I realized it was from the air,” said senior women’s studies major Rachel Mastro. “I won’t be riding my scooter home in this weather, I’m going to get a ride.”

A student walking down the hall hauling boxes on a dolly was wearing an air pollution mask, covering his nose and mouth.

“My work gave it to me,” said Henry Tran, a CSULB shipping and handling employee and freshman majoring in mechanical engineering. “It’s just to be safe because of the air today.”

By Tuesday, the orange colored film that coated the sky on Monday had mostly faded by the afternoon and outdoor athletic activities had resumed.

“I don’t have a class right now and it’s not really bothering me,” said Giovanni Orozco, an engineering major who chooses to stay outside. “I don’t mind it so much.”

Meanwhile, northern California battled an even bigger fire that has been raging since Sunday night. According to The Los Angeles Times, the lives of 17 people have been claimed along with 2,000 homes and 115,000 acres of land.

This story will be updated as it progresses.

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