Residents are prohibited from burning wood and solid fuel through Monday, Dec. 26 after the Bay Area Air Quality Management District extended a Spare the Air alert.
Air district officials says the region is experiencing worsened air quality conditions as cold temperatures, stagnant air, dense fog and high pressure is trapping wood smoke pollution.
“Fine particulate pollution is expected to continue to impact our air quality throughout the region,” said Sharon Landers, interim executive officer of the air district. “Wood smoke has immediate and long-term health impacts. Let’s all do our part to protect public health by not burning wood.”
Bay Area residents and businesses are prohibited from using fireplaces, wood stoves, outdoor fire pits and other wood-burning devices as the alert is in place.
Homes dependent on wood-burning devices for heat are exempt, though all devices must be be EPA-certified. Pellet-fueled devices must be registered with the Air District, officials said.
Fine particulate pollution in the wood smoke can cause health impacts, especially for children, elderly people and those with respiratory conditions.
First-time violators are encouraged to take a wood smoke awareness course or will have to pay a $100 fine. Second violations will bring a $500 fine that can grow with subsequent violations. Residents can call (877) 4NO-BURN or visit www.baaqmd.gov to file a wood smoke complaint or to get more information on the wood burning ban.
Wood smoke awareness course? More like woke awareness course.
Maybe it’s about doing great BBQ?
The brisket we slow cooked in our outdoor smoker, for 12 hours, was delicious.
I enjoyed my fire yesterday. It was started around 1000am and had visible flame until I went to sleep around 1130pm. Kept the inside of my house (2200sf) at 73/74 degrees all day, despite the door opening several times to allow family in/out, walking a dog and watching the nieces go ride their new bikes. Our heater did not come on once (sorry PGE!)
We only saw smoke once from our chimney. I credit that to burning quality wood. I also couldn’t care any less about the Air Quality district edicts.
Thanks “Parent” for burning quality wood. Our neighbors were burning crap wood and billowing smoke all day and night long.
It is a pet peeve of mine. But you are welcome.
It is such a waste to burn crap, no real lasting heat can come out of it – so why bother? Plus when you burn crap, it causes you more work, you have more unburned crap to clean out of your fireplace more frequently. Burn quality (Red Oak, Almonds, Madrones, etc), you get more heat and less ash clean up.
Been burning 6 days straight. Big middle finger to AAQMD.
Sorry, but that photo is Highly deceptive aka “misinformation”.
99% of homes & businesses are using natural gas for heating……..and that is what the photo represents – Not wood smoke.
Bay Area Control the Citizens District… Q) How’s that restricting the air thing workin’ out for ya? A) As long as we get paid our cut of the Woke Taxes… Big Gov, ya know?
Got a nice fire going since the start of this boring MNF game