With hazardous levels of smoke lingering over Los Angeles County as a result of the slew of wildfires currently burning throughout the region, county officials are urging the public to stay safe.

AirNow is a collaborative effort of federal agencies that provides air quality data across the U.S. The site also has up-to-date information about the wildfires, resources, data, and interactive maps to help users learn more about particular areas and how they might be affected. There's also a free AirNow mobile app.

An air quality alert was issued on Thursday at 4:59 p.m. in effect until Friday at 5 p.m. The alert is for San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire, Riverside County Mountains, San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning,