Short Hot Spell Prompts Second Spare The Air Alert In Bay Area

BAY AREA, CA — Hot temperatures and vehicle exhaust will continue to result in poor air quality Wednesday, prompting the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue a second consecutive Spare the Air alert. It is the 17th Spare the Air alert of the year, which are issued when smog is forecast to reach unhealthy levels.

Cooler weather and lower air pollution concentrations are expected to return to the region on Thursday.

"Leaving your car at home, especially when commuting to and from work, is the best way to reduce harmful air pollution," said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the district, which is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.

"By breaking the habit of driving alone and carpooling, taking transit, biking or walking instead, we can make the air healthier to breathe for everyone in the Bay Area."

Smog can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. Long-term exposure to smog can reduce the functioning of the lungs. Smog is particularly harmful for young children, seniors and people with respiratory and heart conditions.

During Spare the Air days, Bay Area residents are encouraged to carpool, use public transit or work from home. People are also advised to limit outdoor activities.

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