Bay Area Air District lowers threshold for Spare the Air alerts, could double annual warnings

by Andres Jimenez Larios, Bay City News October 4, 2025October 3, 2025

FILE — The skyline is obscured by smoke and haze from wildfires and is barely visible behind the prison exercise yard fence on Alcatraz Island Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in San Francisco, Calif. The Bay Area Air District has lowered the threshold for Spare the Air alerts to 25 micrograms of particulate matter to protect health and reduce pollution from wildfire smoke and other sources. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

The board of directors at the Bay Area Air District has voted to lower the criteria to declare Spare the Air alerts.

A press release from the air district on Wednesday stated that alerts will be issued when a daily forecast for fine particulate matter reaches 25 micrograms per cubic meter, down from the previous threshold of 35 micrograms, potentially creating more frequent alerts in the future when wood smoke is detected.

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