Latest southern Colorado news, weather and sports from FOX21 News

EL PASO COUNTY, COLO -- As the Bear and Purgatoire Fires continues to burn, along with several others in New Mexico and Arizona, state health officials are warning residents with respiratory problems to be aware of smoke in the air.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Wednesday's air quality was "moderate."

Officials said the fires are to blame for much of the haze across the state.

They said those with asthma or a chronic respiratory disease need to be aware of the changing conditions, and take the necessary precautions so their symptoms do not flare-up .

"The smoke can be carried a very long distance, it is going to be dependent on wind direction, but also on temperature and humidity, so it is a dynamic situation," Bernadette Albanese, Medical Director with the El Paso County Health Department, said.

Albanese said conditions are constantly changing, and can vary hour to hour and day to day.

She said those who need to be the most concerned about the haze are the elderly, young children and infants, and people with heart or lung disease.

"If you have those conditions you may want to double check the index, and then decide whether or not it is a good idea for you to be outdoors for a prolonged period of time," Albanese said.

Even if you do decide to stay indoors and play it safe, doctors said some residents with conditions such as asthma may still notice a change in their symptoms.

"For somebody with a chronic respiratory problem like COPD or asthma, I would be really concerned if they had problems with cough, increased shortness of breath, painful breathing, wheezing, and if they were using their usual medicines and not getting relief," Dr. Daniel Soteres with Asthma and Allergy Associates said.

Soteres said call your health care professional before making any changes. He said it is important to be educated because dangers in the air are not always visible.

"You may not always see the smoke, but what is in the air are tiny particulate matter that get into the airways of the lungs and cause a lot of irritation and respiratory distress," Soteres said.