Cyndi Loza

Thunderstorms expected to begin Wednesday and continue into the weekend could spark fires in the Reno area, a National Weather Service official said Monday.

“Since the air is pretty dry, (Reno) might get some dry lighting,” said Rudy Cruz, National Weather Service specialist. “Usually, that means there’s not much rain involved in these thunderstorms.”

Cruz said thunderstorms without precipitation could lead to lightning-sparked wildfires in the Truckee Meadows. Similar dry weather caused hundreds of wildfires in North California and one north of Fernley over weekend.

“There’s not much rain to put (fires) out, let’s put it that way,” Cruz said.

Temperatures today are expected to reach a high near 91 degrees and a low around 56. People can expect a high of 100 degrees by Saturday, Cruz said.

Franklin Pemberton, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service’s Carson Ranger District, said local fire units are prepared for any upcoming wildfires this weekend.

“We let a couple of crews head over the hill to help,” Pemberton said. “But we’re hoping that we’ll get them back by the end of the week.”

Reno residents can expect to be greeted by a blanket of smoke caused by the California wildfires well into Thursday, Cruz said. The worst of the haze should be encountered in morning and begin to lessen throughout the day as winds pick up.

Officials suggest people with respiratory problems, elderly and young children to remain inside with windows closed and avoid prolonged outdoor activity while the smoke persists.

Though safety precautions were recommended, the air was healthy Monday, said Duane Sikorski, air quality supervisor for the Washoe District Health Department.

“I know it looked pretty bad, and there were times (Monday) morning when you could smell the smoke, but if you averaged it out, it’s still in the good range,” Sikorski said.

The amount of particulate matter captured during sampling was 90 micrograms per cubic meter of air during Monday worst air quality hour at 10 a.m. The federal standard for “unhealthy air” is 150 micrograms for eight straight hours, Sikorski said.

With potential upcoming fires in the area, Pemberton said he hopes the public will be extra mindful to prevent fires.

“We could have our hands full with just mother nature,” Pemberton said. “We don’t need the human factor.”