Category Archives: News
Air Quality Advisory Issued Due to Wildfire Smoke from Fire in Napa County
Davis, CA – August 22, 2025 – The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District has issued an Air Quality Advisory for northwestern Yolo County due to wildfire smoke from the Pickett fire in Napa County. This advisory is in effect through August 24, 2025, unless otherwise extended or rescinded by the agency.
Smoke from the Pickett wildfire burning in Napa County is impacting air quality. Depending on changing wind direction and wildfire activity, smoke impacts will vary between moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups levels in northwestern Yolo County
Poor air quality from wildfire smoke has the potential to cause negative health impacts. Wildfire smoke contains very small particulate matter that is breathed deep into the lungs. If you see or smell smoke, you are breathing it. Everyone—especially children, older adults, pregnant individuals, and those with heart or lung conditions—should take steps to reduce exposure to smoke.
To reduce your exposure to smoke:
- Check local air quality at fire.airnow.gov
- Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed
- Limit outdoor activity, especially exercise
- Avoid using fans that pull smoky air indoors (e.g., swamp coolers, whole-house fans)
- Run your air conditioner, and set it to “recirculate” or “recycle” if possible
- Avoid indoor pollution: don’t smoke, vacuum, fry food, or burn candles/incense
- Use a HEPA air purifier to clean indoor air
- Create a “clean room” with an air purifier where people and pets can shelter from smoke
Contact your healthcare provider if you or someone in your care experiences symptoms related to smoke exposure, such as repeated coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea, or unusual fatigue or lightheadedness.
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District’s mission is to protect human health and property from the harmful effects of air pollution. As a public health agency, the District is responsible for safeguarding air quality and overseeing air pollution control in Yolo and northeastern Solano counties, including the cities of Dixon, Rio Vista, and Vacaville. For more information, visit ysaqmd.org. Connect with the Air District via Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Nextdoor.
For more information, visit:
Airnow.gov – Local Air Quality Report
Air Aware newsletter out now!
Summer may be winding down, but we’re still hard at work keeping you informed about local air quality and the resources available to our community. In this Summer 2025 edition of Air Aware, you’ll find updates on new programs, grant opportunities, and ways we’re working to reduce pollution and protect public health—plus a look at the amazing artwork from this year’s Clean Air Calendar Art Contest winners!
Air District Launches Home Air Filtration Pilot Program
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (District) is launching its Fresh Air For All – Home Air Filtration Pilot Program to provide free, high-quality air filtration devices to eligible households. The program is designed to help residents—especially those in disadvantaged communities—maintain healthy indoor air during wildfire smoke events and other poor air quality days.
Each eligible household that applies will receive one Oransi AirMend150 HB air filtration unit and one replacement HEPA filter, designed to last up to 12 months. Approximately 700 devices will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Households may submit only one application, and participants must pick up their device in person—either at a distribution event or at the District office, located at 1947 Galileo Court, Suite 103, in Davis.
| Distribution events: | |
| Rio Vista Library, Rio Vista | 12 – 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16 |
| Holy Cross Church, West Sacramento | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17 |
| Arthur F. Turner Community Library, West Sacramento | 12 – 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 |
Residents can sign up in advance using the online application (also available in Russian and Spanish) or register on-site during a distribution event. The process is simple: applicants just need to complete the form and provide a document showing proof of address, such as a driver’s license or utility bill. Once the form is submitted and documentation is verified, participants can take home a unit immediately. If someone does not have documentation on hand at the event, staff will assist them in signing up for a later pick-up date.
Wildfire smoke can result in prolonged periods of poor air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children, older adults, and individuals with respiratory or heart conditions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, using a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration device in a well-sealed indoor space can reduce particulate pollution by more than 90 percent.
The District encourages residents to use air filtration devices during smoke events and to create “clean air rooms” to ensure access to safe indoor air during high-pollution days.
New Fee Schedule in Effect July 1
The current fiscal year ends on Monday, June 30, and our new fee schedule will go into effect on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
For details about updated fees, please see Master Fee Schedule FY 25-26
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
Board Awards $439K to Support Local Clean Air Projects
At the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, we’re proud to support the work of local organizations that are stepping up to make our air cleaner and our communities healthier. Our Board of Directors recently approved $439,000 in grant funding to 14 projects across Yolo County and northeastern Solano County.
These projects span a wide range of clean air efforts, including clean vehicle technology, alternative transportation, transit Services, and public education — all with the common goal of reducing air pollution and protecting people who live and work in our District.
“All of these projects are helping to reduce emissions in the District and promote cleaner air,”
Executive Director Gretchen Bennitt said. “From EV chargers to bike racks to educational
programs, we’re proud to support such a wide range of impactful projects.”
Projects funded for the 2025–2026 grant cycle include:
Clean Technologies / Low-Emission Vehicles
• The City of Vacaville will install publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure at De
Colores Park and Malaquias Montoya Community Center.
• The City of Rio Vista will purchase one Ford F-150 Lightning for its Public Works
Department vehicle fleet.
• The Vacaville Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club will replace its current gas-powered
pickup van with an electric van and install EV charging infrastructure at its new Clubhouse
location.
• The Yolo Food Bank will replace its current diesel-powered refrigerated truck with a fully
electric refrigerated truck to pick up food donations across Yolo County.
Alternative Transportation
• The Solano Transportation Authority will expand its Eastern Solano Vanpool program that
connects northeastern Solano County workers with their jobs across the region and
increase the incentives offered to residents for taking alternative transportation.
• The City of Vacaville will install a high visibility crosswalk to promote safer routes to
school at Kairos Elementary School.
• The City of Woodland will install bike racks for public use at its new aquatic center.
• Fourth and Hope, a non-profit serving individuals experiencing homelessness, will install
bike racks at its East Beamer Campus in Woodland.
Public Education / Information
• The Solano Transportation Authority will continue and expand its Safe Routes to School
Program, which conducts school-based outreach and education in Solano County,
offering students bicycle education and bicycle repair resources.
• Sustainable Solano will expand its Youth Air Protectors program to a cohort of high school
interns in Dixon, teaching them about air quality awareness and culminating in a bike rack
installation project.
• Catholic Charities of Yolo-Solano will incorporate air quality education into its existing
disaster preparedness outreach efforts in vulnerable communities across Yolo and Solano
Counties.
• The Solano Resource Conservation District will integrate air quality education into its
Suisun Marsh Watershed Program, which provides sixth-grade students in Solano County
with hands-on, field-based learning experiences about the environment.
• The Bike Campaign, a Yolo County non-profit that educates people about bicycling, will
bring the All Kids Bike Program to local schools to teach kindergarteners how to bike.
• Breathe California Sacramento Region will hold the 5th Annual Breathe Bike Festival in
West Sacramento to kick off May is Bike Month.
Funding for the program comes from a portion of annual Department of Motor Vehicles registration fees, with additional support for Solano County projects provided by property tax proceeds. Since the program’s launch more than 30 years ago, the District has awarded roughly $12 million in grants.
Stay tuned over the next year as these projects take shape — we’ll be sharing updates and success stories along the way!
To learn more about the Clean Air Funds program and how to apply in the future, visit: https://www.ysaqmd.org/clean-air-funds/
Student Artists Shine in 2025 Clean Air Calendar Art Contest
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Clean Air Calendar Art Contest. Twelve students earned top honors, and 12 more received honorable mentions for their outstanding artwork illustrating the theme, “Why is Clean Air Important to You?”
“We loved seeing all the wonderful entries this year—it was incredibly difficult to choose the winners,” said Gretchen Bennitt, Executive Director of the District. “We added honorable mentions to showcase even more of the amazing talent and creativity we saw. It’s going to be a fantastic calendar.”
This year’s contest received more than 100 submissions from students in kindergarten through seventh grade, representing 19 local schools across Yolo and northeastern Solano counties. The contest invited students who live in or attend school within the District to participate in this annual educational campaign, which promotes awareness about air quality.
District staff reviewed submissions in two grade categories—K through third and fourth through seventh—and selected winning entries to be featured in the 2026 Clean Air Calendar, which will be released this fall. Each winning student will receive a Certificate of Achievement, a gift card, and have their artwork prominently displayed alongside a designated month in the calendar. Students awarded honorable mentions will also receive Certificates of Achievement, and their artwork will be included in a special section of the calendar highlighting outstanding entries.
2025 Contest Winners
Elizabeth C.
1st Place:
Amara Gandhi – Third grade, Patwin Elementary, Davis
Lucia Martinez – Third grade, Shirley Rominger Intermediate, Winters
Zack Hernandez – Fourth grade, Dixon Montessori Charter School, Dixon
Elizabeth Chen – Seventh grade, Frances Harper Junior High, Davis
Amara G.
2nd Place:
Elena Rodriguez – Second grade, Orchard Elementary, Vacaville
Colette Tremblay – Third grade, Cesar Chavez Elementary, Davis
Yovanni Vargas – Fifth grade, Shirley Rominger Intermediate, Winters
Vom Im – Sixth grade, Robert E. Willett Elementary, Davis
3rd Place:
Zack H.
Cameron Lucero – Second grade, Fred T. Korematsu Elementary, Davis
Elise Hu – Third grade, Birch Lane Elementary, Davis
Emery Corwin – Fifth grade, Fred T. Korematsu Elementary, Davis
Lilah Castleman – Sixth grade, Robert E. Willett Elementary, Davis
Honorable Mentions:
Isaiah Hu – Kindergarten, Birch Lane Elementary, Davis
Lucia M.
Abraham Castleman – First grade, Robert E. Willett Elementary School, Davis
Skylar Kiser – First grade, Waggoner Elementary, Winters
Alex Seiler – Second grade, Davis School for Independent Study, Davis
Alexa Alanis – Third grade, Shirley Rominger Intermediate, Winters
Sergio Julian Jimenez Arellano – Third grade, Shirley Rominger Intermediate, Winters
Nola McGinn – Fourth grade, Patwin Elementary, Davis
Addie Lou McLaughlin – Fifth grade, Davis Waldorf School, Davis
Audrey Hu – Fifth grade, Birch Lane Elementary, Davis
Clarissa Uribe – Fifth grade, Shirley Rominger Intermediate, Winters
Nayeli Aguilar – Fifth grade, Shirley Rominger Intermediate, Winters
Sophia Bolivar – Sixth grade, Spring Lake Elementary, Woodland
This contest is one of many ways the Air District engages local communities through education and outreach, helping to raise awareness of air quality and its impact on health and the environment.
Exploring Air Quality and Agriculture at Farm Connection Day
We had a great time at Yolo County Farm Bureau’s Farm Connection Day on May 2 in Woodland! More than 2,000 students from across Yolo County came out to learn about agriculture and where their food comes from. One thing we learned – Yolo County has the climate and soil to grow more than 200 crops that we all regularly consume!
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District hosted a hands-on booth where students explored how air moves and how weather conditions can impact air pollution. Using cotton balls, kids got to “blow” air across a surface and watch how it moved through a bowl — a fun and effective way to visualize air flow, weather patterns, and their role in pollution levels and crop health.
A big thank you to the Yolo County Farm Bureau for organizing such an engaging and educational event!
If you’re interested in having the District participate in your school event or would like to request a classroom presentation, visit: ysaqmd.org/classrooms
Clean Air Funds in Action: The Bike Campaign
We had the pleasure of visiting Tafoya Elementary School in Woodland last month to see The Bike Campaign’s Bike Skill Training Program in action. Their team was on campus working with second graders, helping them build essential bike safety skills and introducing them to the joy of riding.
Through their work, The Bike Campaign discovered that nearly 60 percent of second graders didn’t know how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle—but they’re working hard to change that. So far this school year, the volunteer-run organization has brought its programming to 14 schools throughout Woodland, Winters, Davis, and Knights Landing, reaching hundreds of students across Yolo County.
Through the Air District’s Clean Air Funds program, we helped The Bike Campaign purchase a new fleet of bicycles for this initiative. We’re proud to support the nonprofit and its mission to encourage more people to ride bikes—reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality for everyone.
District Seeking RFQs for Air Filtration Units
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District is currently seeking proposals for bulk-purchase pricing on portable indoor air filtration units. Proposers who submit a response to the Request for Qualifications must have the ability to meet the requirements, including the terms and conditions contained in the RFQ.
The units will be used for the District’s Residential Air Filtration Program, which makes air filtration units and replacement filters available to households located within District’s boundaries, particularly in state-designated disadvantaged communities. The District’s Board of Directors has allocated $130,000 for the purchase of these units. This initiative supports our continued commitment to protecting human health and property from the harmful effects of air pollution.
