ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

SkyCity fire: Health risks from toxic smoke explained

Author
Jamie Morton, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 23 Oct 2019, 2:01PM
Anyone with shortness of breath or worsening of asthma symptoms was urged to see their doctor.
Anyone with shortness of breath or worsening of asthma symptoms was urged to see their doctor.

SkyCity fire: Health risks from toxic smoke explained

Author
Jamie Morton, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 23 Oct 2019, 2:01PM

An air quality scientist said Auckland's strong winds would help dissipate the smoke from the major SkyCity Convention Centre fire - but there were still health risks.

Vulnerable people - including the elderly and children - were being urged to avoid smoke that has enveloped downtown Auckland over the past 24 hours.

While officials say healthy people should have no long-term health problems if they've been exposed to smoke from the SkyCity Convention Centre fire, others were at greater risk.

They included people who smoke, the elderly, children, and those with heart disease, asthma or other lung conditions.

If areas were affected by smoke, people should wipe down surfaces used for cooking and food preparation before using.

Anyone with shortness of breath or worsening of asthma symptoms was urged to see their doctor.

Dr Guy Coulson, Niwa's science leader for air-quality research, said scientists would be trying to ascertain the chemical composition of the smoke – and how much of it there still was.

While some might have turned to wearing face masks, Coulson's message was for people to avoid coming near the smoke in the first place.

Although he expected a localised peak in poor air quality around the city centre, the picture could be back to normal in days.

"We can probably look at this as a short-term event that will last one or two days – after the fire has stopped, everything will return to normal fairly quickly," Coulson said.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you