Bad air quality in the Valley caused by 6 wildfires hitting children the hardest

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Smoke pouring from area wildfires fills the sky over the foothills and the Valley. But the smoke is also causing the emergency room to fill at Valley Children's Hospital.

Two-year-old Jesus Zaragoza wasn't breathing very well and six-month-old David wasn't feeling much better.

"He seemed really congested in the morning and mornings tend to be a little cooler. We noticed that his cough was pretty rough so we decided to bring him in," said Erika Zaragoza, Fresno.

Dr. Robert Kezirian has noticed a dramatic increase in kids with respiratory problems due to the poor air quality

"The respiratory cases are really doubling or even tripling over the last 24 hours."

The Valley is already home to some of the nation's worst air. Dr. Kezirian said smoke from the wildfires and dust from farming operations can intensify symptoms.

"It's really compounding the effect we're having. I'm having asthmatics, I'm having children with croup, I'm having children with pneumonia also-- so we're seeing everything in the respiratory field of care."

Dr. Kezirian urges families to try to keep their kids indoors.

"We do morning walks, early morning walks, but besides that we stay indoors," said Zaragoza.

Dr. Kezirian said, "I said you're only as healthy as your least healthy child."

Fortunately Jesus felt better after a breathing treatment.