Politics & Government
Air Alert Called for Wednesday
Burning of wood, fire logs, solid fuels banned for 24 hours.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has called the first Winter Spare-the-Air Alert for Wednesday, which rules out the burning of wood, manufactured fire logs or other solid fuel for 24 hours.
“Cold, still weather will cause wood smoke pollution to build up to unhealthy levels tomorrow,” said Jean Roggenkamp, deputy air pollution control officer of the Air District.
Exposure to wood smoke has been linked to increased frequency and severity of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and lung disease -- much like cigarette smoke, Roggenkamp said.
Wedneday, weather conditions are likely to trap airborn smoke close to the ground. For this reason, Bay Area residents and businesses may not use fireplaces, woodstoves and inserts, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits, or any other wood-burning devices.
The public must check the daily burn status before igniting a fire from Nov. 1 through Feb. 29. The daily burn status can be found:
• On the Air District Web sites: www.baaqmd.gov or www.sparetheair.org;
• By calling the toll-free hotline 1-877-4-NO-BURN (complaints can also be filed via the hotline);
• By signing up for AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org or phone alerts at 1-800-430-1515.
Wood smoke is the largest source of wintertime air pollution in the Bay Area and contains harmful pollutants such as particulate matter and carbon monoxide, as well as toxins which are linked to increased cancer rates in adults. In the winter, wood smoke from the 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves in the Bay Area contributes about one-third of the harmful particulate pollution in the air.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (www.baaqmd.gov) is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.
