By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
The Fourth of July will have more than fireworks in the air.
An air quality alert has been issued for much of central Indiana for Friday for smog, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management said Thursday.
The alert for unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone includes Indianapolis plus the cities of Bloomington, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, and Lafayette. The ozone forms during warm temperatures when certain pollutants react in the presence of heat and sunlight. Storm Track 8 was expecting an overnight low temperature of 70 and a high of 91 on Friday in Indianapolis.
In the alert zone, residents, especially active children, adults, and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma, are advised to limit prolonged outdoor exposure.
The 37 counties in the alert zone are Bartholomew, Benton, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren, Wayne, and White.
Residents are encouraged to take precautionary measures to reduce ozone pollution and protect their health. Ozone levels are expected to reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range, prompting officials to advise active children and adults, and people with respiratory conditions like asthma to limit prolonged outdoor exposure.
Recommended actions for the public include using alternative transportation methods such as walking, biking, carpooling, or public transit. Additionally, residents are advised to avoid refueling vehicles or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
Other suggestions to help improve air quality include turning off engines when idling for more than 30 seconds, and conserving energy by turning off lights or setting air conditioners to 75 degrees or higher.
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/weather/weather-stories/smog-alert-issued-for-central-indiana-on-fourth-of-july.