No Wood Burning Allowed in the Bay Area on Friday

Bay City News Service

Yet another "Winter Spare the Air" alert has been issued for the Bay Area for Friday, meaning residents won't be able to burn wood for 24 hours.

This is the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's ninth such alert this season. The last "Spare the Air" day was Wednesday. District officials said a high-pressure weather system resulted in an unhealthy buildup of wood smoke and fine particle pollution.

"Smoke pollution was high in many neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area on Wednesday, making it difficult for people to breathe," air district executive officer Jack Broadbent said in a statement. He said similar conditions are expected Friday. Bay Area residents will not be allowed to use fireplaces, woodstoves, outdoor fire pits or any other wood-burning devices on Friday, he said.

Those who violate the ban will be given the option of taking a wood-smoke awareness for the first offense, but second violations will result in a $500 ticket.

Residents can call (877) 4-NO-BURN to learn whether an alert has been issued each day. Those interested can also sign up to receive alerts about "Spare the Air" days at www.sparetheair.org.

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