A Spare the Air Alert has been issued for Friday as smoke from the numerous wildfires impacts air quality in the Bay Area, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Light northerly winds were expected to continue blowing smoke toward the Bay Area. Smoke impacts are forecast to be more widespread than last week, and air quality is expected to exceed the federal health standard, the air district said.
Wood burning is banned during Spare the Air alerts, and people should avoid exposure by staying indoors if heat is not an issue, officials said.
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Most of the smoke hovering over the region is coming from two large and fast-spreading wildfires in the northern Sierra Nevada: The Dixie Fire across Butte, Tehama, Plumas and Lassen counties and the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County, southwest of Lake Tahoe.
To help improve air quality, people should consider driving less, as cars, light duty trucks, and other vehicles are the biggest source of air pollution, contributing 75% of emissions, the air district says.
