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Air quality warning for the entire Bay Area due to wildfire smoke

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The Bay Area Air Quality Management District warns that many areas have hazardous air quality due to the 1,200-acre Point Fire.



BAY AREA — The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality warning for the Bay Area Tuesday due to rising smoke from the Point Fire, which has burned 1,207 acres around Healdsburg since Sunday. The fire is 40% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire.

RELATED: Latest news on the fire in Point: Loss of houses confirmed, damage assessment continues

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According to this map from AirNow, the U.S. Air Quality Index Reader, air quality is expected to be “moderate” in the interior valleys and worst in Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. Green areas, like most of the coast, fall into the “Good” category, yellow means moderate risk, orange means “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” and red means “Unhealthy.”

“Forest fire smoke contains fine dust and other harmful pollutants. Exposure to forest fire smoke is unhealthy, even for a short period of time,” says the BAAMQ warning.

“It is important that Bay Area residents protect their health by avoiding exposure. If possible and when temperatures permit, stay indoors and close windows and doors until smoke levels subside. Residents can also reduce their exposure to smoke by setting their air conditioning and car ventilation systems to recirculate to prevent outside air from entering. 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 exposure.”

The first “Spare the Air” warning of 2024 was in effect across the Bay Area on Sunday and Monday. It is issued when air quality leads to pollution levels that exceed federal air quality standards, and burning wood or other solid fuels is illegal. There was no weather forecast on Tuesday despite the air warning.

On Monday, BAAMQ launched a new system for email and SMS alerts on local air quality. Sign up here.

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