South Bay Most At-Risk As Spare The Air Alert Looms

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air alert Thursday due to smog concerns. South Bay residents could be hit hardest.

The Bay Area is forecast to see unhealthy air quality Thursday thanks to light winds, hot temperatures and car exhaust, the district announced Wednesday. Inland areas across the region are expected to surpass 100 degrees as a heatwave sweeps the western United States.

The Santa Clara Valley could be faced with a double whammy as smoke floats into the region from fires in Arizona and the southwest, according to the district. Reports from people smelling smoke trickled in Wednesday, prompting Cal Fire's nearby San Mateo-Santa Cruz chapter to clarify that firefighters could not see visible signs of smoke and callers appeared to be reporting the smell of smoke wafting in from elsewhere.

Anyone who plans on exercising Thursday should do so in the morning, when the air quality is better, the district said.

“As many Bay Area residents return to their workplaces, unhealthy air and traffic congestion will become more frequent if we don’t find a better way of getting to work than driving,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the district, in a news release. “We can all help reduce air pollution by working remotely, taking transit or biking or walking instead of driving alone.”

This marks the year's second Spare the Air alert, which goes into effect across the nine-county Bay Area.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issues Spare the Air alerts when forecasts indicate that ozone pollution, or smog, will reach unhealthy levels and could cause throat irritation, chest pain, lung inflammation, congestion or trigger asthma, according to the district. Young children, seniors, and people with respiratory and heart conditions are especially vulnerable.

Wondering how hot your community will get? Check the latest forecast from the National Weather Service's Bay Area chapter here.