Poor Bay Area Air Quality Closes Colleges, Universities

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA — Multiple colleges and universities around the Bay Area are closed today because of poor air quality resulting from the Camp Fire in Butte County. California State University East Bay, San Francisco State University, University of California Davis, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, De Anza College in Cupertino, Mission College in Santa Clara and Mills College in Oakland are among the schools that have closed for today and some are closed through the rest of the week.

Many schools that remain open Thursday are keeping students inside for activities that would otherwise be done outdoors.

The Camp Fire has burned 140,000 acres and the death toll from the blaze is at 56 as of this morning. The fire, which started Nov. 8, has destroyed more than 8,700 homes and 260 commercial buildings and is only 40 percent contained.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued Winter Spare the Air Alerts all week through Friday because of poor air quality in the region.

The air district's Air Quality Index, which measures fine particulate matter pollution, showed most of the Bay Area between 151-200 on its scale, meaning the air is considered unhealthy.

The reading was above 200, in the category deemed Very Unhealthy, in parts of Livermore, and above 190 in parts of Oakland.

• Death Toll Climbs To 56 In Camp Fire, 130 Unaccounted For

By Bay City News Service

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images