Date

miércoles, noviembre 27, 2019

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is asking Bay Area residents to not burn wood in their fireplaces or woodstoves over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to prevent air quality impacts in inland valleys and neighborhoods.

Spare the Air Status

While air quality is expected to be good to moderate throughout the Bay Area, wood burning during the Thanksgiving holiday can significantly impact localized areas and neighborhoods. Wood burning can also significantly impact indoor air quality.

"We are asking residents in the Bay Area to help keep air pollution low this Thanksgiving by not burning wood indoors or outdoors,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “If Bay Area residents forego their fire this Thanksgiving, it will help all of us all enjoy a healthier, happier holiday weekend."

A Spare the Air Alert is NOT in effect and wood burning is not illegal. However, wood burning is discouraged.

Like cigarette smoke, wood smoke contains fine particles and carcinogenic substances that make the air unhealthy to breathe. Wood smoke is the major source of air pollution in the Bay Area in the wintertime and is especially harmful to children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions.

Bay Area residents can find out if a Spare the Air Alert is in effect by:

  • Signing up for text alerts. To sign up, text the word “START” to the number 817-57
  • Calling 1-877-4NO-BURN
  • Visiting www.sparetheair.org or www.baaqmd.gov
  • Signing up for automatic e-mail AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org
  • Signing up for automatic phone alerts at www.sparetheair.org
  • Downloading the Spare the Air iPhone or Android app

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality and the global climate in the nine-county Bay Area. Connect with the Air District via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about Spare the Air, visit www.sparetheair.org.

View press release

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Last Updated: 27/11/2019