Calculating air pollution from wildfires and other events has become more complicated. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily more accurate.

Los Angeles is now a week removed from the day that multiple devastating wildfires erupted to torch tens of thousands of acres. But still, the question remains if people should wear masks to limit their exposure to toxins in the air.

The Southern California wildfires continue to rage on, devastating areas around Los Angeles, including the Pacific Palisades, Hurst, and Pasadena. Over 180,000 people have had to evacuate their homes,

LOS ANGELES — Massive wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area have filled the air with a thick cloud of smoke and ash, prompting air quality advisories across a vast stretch of Southern California.

The hazardous air quality in Los Angeles is largely a result of smoke from the Pacific Palisades Fire, intensified by strong Santa Ana winds.