The residents were there to collect masks as smoke and ash from the Thomas fire affected the air quality in the city. She said she won’t be affected by the fire but air quality has been a major concern for her. After the fire began on Wednesday, a 5-year-old was admitted to UCLA Medical Center-Santa Monica because the child was struggling to breathe, said UCLA health spokeswoman Amy Albin. Officials also warned of particularly bad air quality in the San Fernando Valley. The hospital also set up a hotline Tuesday to field questions about air quality and has answered about 20 inquiries from patients, she said.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 08, 2017 21:11 UTC