Poco smoke blankets Valley

PHOENIX — A layer of haze covering Valley skies had people coughing and sneezing Wednesday morning and it’s courtesy of the Poco fire east of Payson near Young.

Valerie Myers with the National Weather Service said an overnight wind shift brought the smoke to the Valley. The Maricopa County Air Quality Department issued a health watch for the day.

The department also urged the public to avoid activities that generate dust, such as driving on dirt roads and to drive as little as possible.

Associated Press contributed to this article.

Related

Contiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA saysContiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA saysBen Jones, good ol’ boy ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ actor and 2-term US House member, dies at 84Mesa collision leaves 2 dead, 2 seriously injuredTohono O’odham Nation posts ‘No Trespassing’ signs for border wall crewsAuthorities ID the officer who fatally shot a Black man on a bike in Madison, Wisconsin