A Spare the Air alert banning the burning of wood in the Bay Area has been extended through Sunday, according to air quality regulators.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District initially issued the alert for Friday but has extended it through the weekend because of a weather system of light winds and low overnight temperatures that is forecast to trap smoke near ground level.
On winter Spare the Air days, it is illegal for Bay Area residents and businesses to use fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or other wood-burning devices, although there are exemptions for homes without permanently installed heating where wood stoves and fireplaces are the only source of heat, according to the air district.
First-time violators of the wood burning ban can take a wood smoke awareness course or pay a $100 fine, while subsequent violations are subject to higher fine amounts.
The air district says exposure to wood smoke can be linked to serious respiratory or cardiac problems and is especially harmful for children and older people.
People concerned about wood smoke pollution can call (877) 4NO-BURN or visit www.baaqmd.gov to file a complaint or get more information.
15 comments
12 mph winds in concord, blowing leaves around . Ain’t stagnant air.
Spot on Frank, I was trying to put a tarp on outdoor furniture, wind was blowing it off before I could secure it, clear skies, betting they make the call on Friday and nobody can change it on the weekend, cause they’re at their homes sitting around the fireplace
We’ll pass on STA.
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Thanks.
Can I burn tires in my backyard? The air nazis say wood.
How about COAL?
If the BAAQMD would like to pay my PG&E bill for the next 4 months I will be happy not to burn anything in my fireplace.
But until I see my check I will burn anything in my fireplace a want
Just mentioning it for a friend. 🙂
“…wood smoke awareness course…”? More like a wood woke awareness course. What a crock.
How can they have a STA day on a rainy day.
These people are just crazy.
🔥BAAQMD’’s twice a year “News Release” timed to prevent traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with the family gathered around the fireplace. Wonder how far back in the archives they had to look for a copy of that one … like last year? 🔥
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To quote Rosa Parks, “Nah”.
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I’m more concerned about the methane emitted by the BAAQMD’s BS. I’ll burn whatever the h3ll I want.
BAAQMD – 🖕
And you can expect coal in your stocking (again) this year.
Hmm, . . . . . . Spare the Air while it’s raining
The people who make the decisions to call a spare the air day….. do you ever go outside and check the actual weather? Yesterday, was breezy all day, skies were clear, I understand you make an advanced call based on forecasts, but do you EVER rescind the alert once you realize the forecast is wrong? The answer is NO, so it is not surprising that nobody cares about your alerts, as you are basing them on weather predictions that are often incorrect, rather than checking real conditions and removing the alert as should have been the case yesterday.
Another reason to disregard.
To the people who make the decision to call a spare the air alert, do you ever actually go outside and check the conditions? Yesterday was breezy all day long, skies were clear, I understand you make the decision based on weather forecasts, but when the forecast is wrong, why is it you NEVER rescind the alert? If you want people to take your alerts seriously, then be current with your weather conditions, not sticking to the guess you made days earlier…..
Isn’t this interesting
baamd predicted readings for today
Northern Zone 107
Coast and Central Bay 105
Eastern Zone 102
Those predictions “Last Updated: Sunday, December 17 at 5:53 AM”
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Actual readings today in all 8 bay area counties were well below alert threshold, except Laney College for a three hour period and highest reading was 103. All Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups is a reading of 101 – 150
https://tinyurl.com/3tuzcpj9
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Seriously considering getting a 5 gallon metal bucket, weighting it with a few bricks, putting a 100 watt light bulb in it, putting metal cover back on, putting it up on the roof well away from chimney and run an extension cord to it on spare the air days and wait for a knock on the door that will likely never happen.
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Ya I hear it all the time, . . . . . “We can’t take you anywhere”.
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