The present situation in California is not an unfamiliar one to its constituents, unfortunately. The fires burning in the northern part of the state are quickly becoming a grim tradition of nature. Homes have been destroyed, lives taken, and countless acres have been deeply singed.
Gallant firefighters are sacrificing precious time with their families to make sure that others are safe and able to spend an uninterrupted Christmas holiday with their own families. Still, there are those that would tempt fate by challenging nature herself and proceeding with events that are just not safe in this environment.
Believe it or not, several have chosen to proceed with recreational sports while in the midst of the fires and its effects. Here are a few reasons that could be one bad idea.
Breathing is Paramount
Name one thing you do without thinking most of the time and is essential to life. Yes. Breathing! We have to be able to breathe in order to live and we must be able to breathe well if we insist on progressing in an athletic life.
The human body needs a balance of oxygen, nitrogen, and several other trace gases, thus the makeup of our atmosphere supports this. However, at the moment, the California wildfires are producing an atmosphere conducive to a heavy metal concert and we don’t mean a musical one.
Because the fires have consumed several homes, batteries, paints, flammable liquids, asbestos siding and pipe insulation are among the casualties. The result is air saturated with heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. If you enjoy operational lungs, playing near the areas affected by the fires is not prudent.
Forest Fires Aren’t for Staying Warm
We are taught from a young age that playing with fire is a dangerous excursion. Yet, it is considered cool to be a pyromaniac. Let us assure you. There is nothing “cool” about a forest fire. Temperatures can reach almost 1,500 degrees fahrenheit.
This is not the kind of fire you want to roast marshmallows over or fry a hotdog on for a picnic. Matter-of-fact, considering the average temperature in Santa Barbara at this time of year is around 66 degrees, there’s not even a point to snuggling up next to it to stay warm.
There have already been several firefighters that have succumb to the wilting heat. It is not our recommendation that you or any of your friends conduct your reindeer games or other sports in the vicinity of these dangerous fires.
You Are in the Way
We all love a good game of backyard football, a nice bike ride through town, or a chance to shoot some hoops. However, just because the flames took the net and left the hoop doesn’t mean it’s ok to play some b-ball with the guys just yet.
The fire may be out in the area and the embers cold, but there is still a lot of cleanup to do and unseen dangers lurking under the ashes. There are parts of the cleanup process that only professionals can perform.
Conducting recreational sports near cleanup areas only makes things take that much longer and endangers you and anyone with you. You will be in the way. Don’t be a smoke surfer. We are not telling you to forget your athletic life for now. Just make sure to carry it out a safe distance from the areas affected by the wildfires.
Maintaining an active lifestyle is imperative to have a healthy one. Use these tips to keep that lifestyle safe when considering the California wildfires.
