PLACER COUNTY–

While the American fire is almost at full containment, it is still causing major air quality problems in the Sierra and Foothills.

Today, football players at Placer High enjoyed practicing under a clear blue sky, but had practice been just a few hours sooner they may have been forced to practice indoors.

“It has been up and down and fortunately for us most days it has been in the morning,” said head coach Joey Montoya.

The quality of the air depends not just on the hour of the day, but the direction of the wind and the day of the week.

Although normally clear by 2 p.m., it is slightly better than what neighbors in the foothills witnessed two weeks ago when smoke from the American fire forced schools to cancel recess and some outdoor activities.

The air quality concerns are now shifting to communities northeast of the Rim Fire in areas like Tahoe and Reno, where particles in the air are roughly twice the normal standard.

It is those tiny particles that are most dangerous to human health.

Experts say do not expect weather patterns to change in the next few days, meaning smoke and air quality will not likely change either.

The American fire is now at 92% containment and is expected to be fully contained by Thursday.