Anyone live in California?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento region remained under a blanket of wildfire smoke Tuesday, leading health officials to urge the public to stay indoors as much as possible as hundreds of fires continue burning around California.

Blazes that started over the weekend have filled the air with soot and ash, making things hard for those who suffer from asthma.

The U.S. Forest Service said it has 4,000 firefighters covering more than 400 fires burning around the state. Many of the fires are burning in remote areas, including the Tahoe and Eldorado national forests. Officials are also asking for help from other states.

"I think it's unprecedented to have this number of fires this early in the season," said Randy Moore of the Forest Service.

The lightning-caused fires have scorched tens of thousands of acres and forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes, though few buildings have been destroyed, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

"It's just extremely, extremely dry," Berlant said. "That means any little spark has the potential to cause a large fire. The public needs to be extra cautious because we don't need any additional wildfires."

Meanwhile, fire officials said they are making progress on a fire burning northwest of Fairfield along the border of Napa and Solano counties. The flames have charred more than 4,000 acres. The blaze is 80 percent contained, but it still threatens about 150 homes.

KCRA 3 WeatherPlus meteorologist Eileen Javora said the smoky conditions were expected to last in the Central Valley at least another day or so. Air quality was forecast to be unhealthy in much of the area. Temperatures will reach the low 90s.

Some of the worst air quality in the area on Monday was recorded in Folsom, and the city was in for another round of bad conditions on Tuesday.

Emergency responders said they have not seen an increase in calls, but they have seen a rise in the severity of cases involving people with breathing-related illnesses.

"We've got people who normally have asthma; they're treating it on their own and they're finding that the medications they have aren't working," said Sally Davis, a dispatch supervisor. "And so we're finding that people are a little more critical when we get there than they normally would have been."

Some people said they are simply avoiding the outdoors as much as they can.

"It's so much easier to be inside than it is outside for me because, you know, the smoke affects me," Ray Delgado said.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and Sacramento County public health officials issued an advisory on Monday to avoid outdoor activities.

Officials urge local residents to keep doors and windows closed.

The following groups of people are the most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution, according to the district:

* Individuals with heart disease – such as coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure
* Individuals with lung disease – such as asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
* Pregnant women
* Outdoor workers
* Children under age 14, whose lungs are still developing
* Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors

The district said pollution levels can cause many health problems such as:

* Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
* Added stress to heart and lungs
* Damaged cells in the respiratory system
* Decreased lung function
* Long-term exposure can cause development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and possibly cancer

In addition to the fire near Fairfield, several other major blazes are burning in the north part of the state:

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The Walker fire in Lake County has burned 8,600 acres and is 5 percent contained. No homes have been destroyed, but voluntary evacuations are in place for residents of 36 homes.

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A blaze in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest has threatened about 1,200 homes and forced evacuations.

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A fire in Monterey County south of Big Sur was only 3 percent contained after consuming 7,015 acres since it was first reported Monday.

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A wildfire west of King City in Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest was 66 percent contained after burning 57,745 acres.

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In Butte County, the Concow and Rim fires are affecting residents in the Concow area. The Rim fire has burned 50 acres and is not contained. Two shelters have been established in Oroville: Spring Valley School at 2771 Pentz Road, and at Las Plumas High School at 2380 Las Plumas Ave.

Officials are asking visitors at Camp Lassen in Butte Meadows to evacuate due to the Smokey fire, which has burned 240 acres. An evacuation center for the Boy Scout camp has been set up at Neighborhood Church at 2801 Notre Dame Blvd. in Chico.

The West fire burning on the east side of a canyon would impact of Paradise and Magalia if it moves to the west side. Fire officials said dozers are cutting fire lines on the ridge and are hoping to keep it contained.