Wood burning bans will now be in effect year-round on Spare the Air days in the Bay Area after a vote Wednesday by the region’s air quality regulatory board.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors approved the change at its meeting in San Francisco as part of an effort to protect public health, particularly during wildfires.
Under the previous policy, wood burning was only prohibited when Winter Spare the Air Alerts were issued between the months of November and February. Now, it will be banned whenever an alert is issued due to particulate matter pollution reaching unhealthy levels.
Violators of the ban are encouraged to take a wood smoke awareness course or pay $100 if it is their first violation, with increasing fines for subsequent violations.
“As wildfires become increasingly normal in California, it is critical we take action to safeguard public health when wildfire smoke affects air quality,” BAAQMD executive director Jack Broadbent said in a news release.
There is an exemption to the ban during PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs or any other loss of power, or when there is no alternate form of heat available, according to the air district.
People can find out when a Spare the Air Alert has been issued by signing up for text alerts by sending the word “START” to 817-57, calling (877) 4NO-BURN, visiting www.sparetheair.org or downloading the Spare the Air smartphone app.
Unelected officials telling us what to do again. Thank Gavin and the Democrats.
If I can eat a sandwich where I know Im not suppose to be eating one and get paid for it. Why am I not going to have a fire in the dead of winter to keep warm? hmmmmmm
Spot on
I wish there was a ‘like’ button…
How about actually doing something about the culprits in the fires roaring thru California – PG&E, the industries that contribute to the ever-increasing world wide temperatures, and the uneducated fools who continue to deny that the ever-increasing populations of resource-consuming humans are contributing (totally causing?) the changes? Over 95 percent of climatologist agree we’re a big part of the problem, so who are you going to believe – ignorant, boneheads who have no education or training on the subject?
Yeast in mixture of water, malt, and barley merrily consume their way to death every time a batch of beer is produced. We’re not much different.
What a joke. I’m an asthmatic and I am against spare the air days. Why, well for one when PGE turns off our power I rather stay warm and have a bit of a problem breathing than freeze.
BTW, all the electric car fanatics, when they turn off the power, which they will do, best get some really good walking and hiking boots.
This press release does a poor job explaining exactly what is happening.
This may not be as big a deal as people seem to think it is. There have always been two types of Spare the Air days, to cover two different types of polution, created by two different sources and based on two different atmospheric conditions.
The one at hand here is what is termed a “Winter Spare the Air” day; which deals with wood smoke/particulants, is since it primarily happens in the winter, by rule it has been limited to the months of November to February. The other STA Day is ozone-focused, and happens in the Summer.
What I THINK this is saying, is they are removing the November to February restriction, so they can call a Winter-type STA Day whenever particulant counts are too high. This does not mean that you won’t be able to BBQ on an ozone-type STA Day in the Summer, unless there is ALSO a concern over particulant counts (e.g. local fires).
I could be wrong, but if I’m right they really could have done a better job explaining this.
Then I expect them to go to the Oakland A’s game on Spare the Air days and fine everyone in the parking lot that is having a BBQ using wood!
Cooking fires are permitted. 🙂
I called on a neighbor because they were stupid enough to have a fire on one of the worst days (post North Bay fire) and they did nothing because it was an answering service. SMH
So many people could care less and as you can read the comments they will do whatever they want. These are the usual folks that resent authority and regulations. You guys are so childish. You think you have no responsibility to make our air clean. I think you should be ashamed of your behavior. Pretty ignorant too. Sick of all a yousssssse.
I agree with some of you. I have no heater in my house. I will not buy a space heater and rack up my electricity bill. Some of those units are unsafe and can catch on fire. So best way is to light up my chimney
I hope you have a fresh supply of air too because those chimneys quickly deplete the interior space of O2. Same with those wall furnaces. Those things not only dry out the air but burn up the O2 in no time.
At least crack a window or 2.
You’re very wrong about wall furnaces, instead of drying the air they put moisture into the air as natural gas produces a large amount of water when burned.
It’s forced air furnaces which dry out the air which is why they are offered with humidifier option.
Your right Anon. That’s why I stopped getting sick when I stopped using that brand new wall furnace. Oh brother.
Dude one system at a time. Are you telling me its easier to breathe “moisture than fresh Air” ???
I understand what you mean about the forced air systems.
The wall furnace is a completely different matrix. Simply put it is a mixture of air and natural gas that is being burned. I’m not talking about by products such as water vapors, carbon monoxides, or nitrous oxides. I’m talking about a healthy breathable environment that is habitable. And you have to constantly replace the elements and compounds.
Thanks for caring for others.
About every answer I’ve ever seen from you is on the par level of a 3 or 4 year old throwing a temper tantrum.
Try to pay attention! This is about wood-burning! The ban has nothing to do with barbecuing, either gas or charcoal! All it takes is one nosy neighbor to turn you in!
The board is a typical progressive leaning bureaucracy. I’m thinking most of the money is spent on their diversity and inclusion efforts, along with paying the salaries of the un-elected board of directors and extensive bureaucratic and administrative staff.The incentive here is to keep the baaqmd going since its main tasks, which focused on reducing industrial pollution, were completed years ago. Now they build a self perpetuating bureaucracy and rule unrestricted without input of the voters, and focus on virtue signaling and pet projects like looking for opportunities to wave their ban stick… Since when should an un-elected board be able to legislate? I didn’t vote for this. Did my representatives? who’s responsible for giving appointees the power to create and enact laws with no voter or representative oversight, and then enforce them? There’s no separation of power here which leads to corruption. Whether your for or against the use of a fireplace to keep warm in the cold of winter, or a barbecue pit in the summer, it’s important to know who’s making the laws you must live by, what the incentives and motives are, and where the corruption lies. These agencies are out of control.
Dr. No I have a fireplace insert myself. When used properly it emits zero smoke and soot, and is an efficient way to heat a living space. The firebox becomes so hot that most of the heat generated burns the wood very efficiently and evenly, at a high temp, which in turn produces little or no smoke. As long as you have the properly dried wood that is not still too green or full of moisture the fuel should burn cleanly.
It is a sad fact that many people are not properly educated enough to have a fireplace insert or obtain wood products that are correctly seasoned. They produce tons of pollutants that accumulate in the central valley system and due to the prevailing winds and the sierra mountain ranges which traps the pollutants in the central valley region.
I would not be looking forward to meeting the Creator, which we ALL shall have to do someday, and having to explain to Him why I did not look after my neighbors health, and being totally unable to give an account as to what was very much a preventable matter.
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From my COLD DEAD HANDS!
California has a long history of ignoring laws that it doesn’t agree with. They shouldn’t be surprised that residents feel entitled to do the same.
Wonderful. Great attitude. I had a friend who had to go in her car and turn on the AC because of the wood smoke bothered her. She had asthma. We need to be aware of others. The world is not about you.
I feel sorry for anyone who has to deal with you. I hope you get turned in. I hate your behavior and really feel sorry for your neighbors.
That’s okay. I only burn coal during a wood burning ban.
ilovepoopcorn,
I had a friend who froze to death because her neighbors called BAAQMD on her for heating her house with wood (she couldn’t afford to run her gas furnace) and they made her turn it off.
She probably lived next door to you.
Robert thank you for clarifying somewhat. When someone owns or leases a property, they are under a contract which specifies “quiet enjoyment for all.” If a neighbor is disturbed by other community members for not following the By Laws then ” hey Hellooooooo ;” the neighbor is not being nosey. They are being Righteous, PERIOD.
Do what’s best get over yourself first and get to know your neighbors. You may find that they are very much the same and just as eager to care for your health and safety.
BAAQMD data shows that 85-95% of the wintertime PM2.5 pollution comes from sources other than people heating heating their homes with wood.
Normally the BAAQD does Not fine people for polluting.because they are scared of voter backlash. I read this one of their white papers. However they go after law abiding businesses because they can’t vote
Not about the air, really about the empire building
Other than that. How was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?