Bay Area-Wide Air Quality Alert Issued

BAY AREA, CA - A Winter Spare the Air Alert has been issued for Thursday, Dec. 22 in the Bay Area, meaning a wood-burning ban is in effect for the fourth straight day in the region, air district officials have said.

Under the alert, it's illegal to burn wood, manufactured fire logs or other solid fuel, indoors or outdoors for 24 hours, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

An exception is made, however, for residents whose sole source of heat is a wood-burning device, but that device must be Environmental Protection Agency-certified or a pellet-fueled device registered with the air district.

Exceptions are no longer made for open-hearth devices, according to the air district.

Wood smoke is the largest source of pollution in the Bay Area during the winter and wood smoke makes the air harmful to breathe because it consists of fine particles and carcinogens. It's especially harmful to children, seniors and people with respiratory illnesses, air district officials said. Exposure to wood smoke has also been linked to heart attacks.

During the winter season, residents and business owners are required check to see whether a Spare the Air Alert has been issued. The winter Spare the Air season started Nov. 1 and lasts through February 2017.

Violating the wood-burning ban can result in a $100 fine, but violators have the option of paying the fine or taking an awareness class by mail or online. A second violation results in a $500 fine and fines are higher for subsequent violations.

Residents and business owners can check whether an alert has been issued by visiting www.sparetheair.org or www.baaqmd.gov, by signing up for email alerts at www.sparetheair.org, signing up for automatic phone alerts by calling (800) 430-1515, or by downloading the Spare the Air apps for iPhone and Android operating systems.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Spare the Air