District officials said wood smoke is the largest source of wintertime air pollution in the region and, like wildfire and cigarette smoke, it is unhealthy to breathe in.
“As we enter the holiday season, gathering around a fireplace may be a tradition for many, but there are serious health impacts associated with wood burning,” air district officials said in a news release Wednesday.
Air quality in the Bay Area should be reasonably healthy through the weekend, but Bay Area Air Quality Management District officials are urging people in the region not to add to the pollution if possible. (sparetheair.org via BAAQMD)
There is no Spare the Air Alert in effect, however, so while wood burning is still allowed, it is strongly discouraged.
The district publishes an interactive air quality forecast map where viewers can check the status for their community.
Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
