Last year, Arizona set records for air pollution due to a mix of weather conditions, backyard fires and fireworks.

Matt Pace is a meteorologist for the Arizona Department for Environmental Quality.

“We get inversions that set up that. Basically, cold air right near the ground and warm air above it, and what it does it traps all of that smoke right down near the surface and the concentrations build up overnight. So then right before the sun rises you actually see the highest concentration of the smoke before it lifts out during the afternoon hours.”

Pace advises for the public to consider their neighbors and the Valley’s air quality before setting fires or lighting fireworks because both can add to pollution.