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Air District issues wildfire smoke warning

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Smoke from the Point Fire will affect parts of the Bay Area through Monday

SAN FRANCISCO – The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is issuing a Spare the Air warning for wildfire smoke for Sunday, June 16 and Monday, June 17.

Due to smoke from the Point Fire in northern Sonoma County, unhealthy air quality is forecast for today and tomorrow. Parts of North Bay and Contra Costa County may experience hazy skies, smoke odor is possible, and air quality may be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy range on the Air Quality Index. Check the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fire and smoke map to see if your area is affected by smoke: https://fire.airnow.gov/.

During a Spare the Air advisory for particulate pollution, it is illegal for Bay Area residents and businesses to use their fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or other wood-burning appliances.

Spare the Air alerts are issued when ozone or particulate matter pollution is expected to reach levels that are harmful to health. When air quality is hazardous to health, it is important that Bay Area residents protect their health by avoiding exposure. Stay indoors when possible and when temperatures permit, and close windows and doors until smoke pollution subsides. It is recommended that ventilation systems in cars be set to recirculate to prevent outside air from entering the interior. Using air filters indoors or visiting a Clean Air Center or other location with filtered air, such as a library or shopping center, can also help reduce smoke pollution.

Smoke can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract, causing coughing, a dry, scratchy throat and irritated sinuses. Elevated levels of fine particulate matter in the air can cause wheezing in people with asthma, emphysema or COPD. The elderly, children and people with respiratory diseases are particularly vulnerable to increased levels of air pollution and should take special precautions to avoid exposure.

Bay Area residents can find out if a Spare the Air alert is active by doing the following:

  • Sign up for SMS notifications. To sign up, send the word “START” to the number 81757
  • Call 1-877-4NO-BURN
  • Visit www.sparetheair.org or www.baaqmd.gov
  • Sign up for automatic email or phone alerts at www.sparetheair.org/alerts
  • Download the Spare the Air iPhone or Android app

For more information about Spare the Air, visit www.sparetheair.org.

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