After fires destroyed multiple neighborhoods across Los Angeles County, many residents looked up to find blue, smoke-free skies this week. The Air Quality Index (AQI) — which measures the concentration of pollutants in the air — seemed to confirm all was well in the L.

Calculating air pollution from wildfires and other events has become more complicated. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily more accurate.

Air quality in wildfire-stricken Los Angeles improved on Thursday from hazardous peaks hit earlier this month, as tiny soot particles that can penetrate the lungs and brain dropped to moderate levels,

KCRW and R&S Kayne Foundation Los Angeles held a public information panel and Q&A session regarding immediate and long-term health considerations from the fires. Watch in English or Spanish.