Sonoma Valley is feeling the effects of the widespread fires that are plaguing areas across Northern California. These fires produce smoke, which is blown over by high, persistent winds, and is now hanging over the valley, creating an unhealthy environment. 

  School is temporarily online as a result of the COVID-19 virus, but it is believed that school would be canceled regardless as a result of the fumes. 

   Even though school has long since been online, that hasn’t stopped sports teams from training – until now. Club and school sports practices have skidded to a halt as a result of the smoke, and it looks as if it may be a while until it is safe enough to return.

   Joey Fiorito, junior, has voiced his displeasure at the current situation, claiming  “it’s really annoying because we had just been allowed to resume practices after lockdown, and now we have to stop again. I really hope the air clears up soon.”

   Students, teachers, and coaches have been using PurpleAir to check the air quality. PurpleAir is a free website that measures the air quality at different locations across town. The air quality has clocked in at over 200 in all locations in Sonoma nearly a dozen times over the past two weeks. On the scale that PurpleAir uses, air quality above 200 “may cause everyone serious health effects if exposed for more than 24 hours.”

  Schools and sporting events are normally required to be shut down when the air quality is above 150, a level that has been consistently reached nearly every day for the past several weeks.