Bay Area's Spare the Air alert to be in effect through at least Saturday
The Bay Area's Spare the Air alert has been extended to at least Saturday as a high-pressure system is expected to hang around and impact air quality.
The Bay Area Air District announced the extension Thursday, saying the alert bans burning wood, manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuels. The ban includes indoor and outdoor burning, including fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves and outdoor fire pits at homes and businesses.
With the high-pressure system expected to remain in place, strong inversion, cold overnight temperatures and offshore winds are expected.
The district said the fine particulate matter concentrations were at or above their threshold on Thursday morning. Due to the expected little change in weather over the next several days, the fine particulate levels are expected to remain in the mid- to high-moderate range.
The exposure to wood smoke has been linked to respiratory illnesses, increased risk of heart attack and certain types of cancer, the district said.
There is an exemption for homes without permanent heating installed, where wood stoves or fireplaces are the only source of heat. Those residents must have an EPA-certified or pellet-fueled device that is registered with the air district. An open-hearth fireplace no longer falls under the exemption.
First-time violators are encouraged to take a wood smoke awareness course. Those who don't take the course will receive a $100 ticket, and a second violation costs $500.