No Burning Thursday in Mtn. View! Day No. 18 of Winter Air Alerts

A Winter Spare the Air alert has been issued for Thursday, banning wood burning for the 18th time this season, Bay Area Air Quality Management District officials announced today.

Bay Area residents will also be prohibited from burning manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel while indoors or outdoors while the alert is in effect. Residents are not allowed to use wood-burning devices such as fireplaces, woodstoves, pellet stoves and outdoor fire pits.

The Winter Spare the Air alert season started on Nov. 1 and continues through Feb. 28.

On Thursday, air district officials expect harmful levels of particulate pollution, but predict it will reduce over the weekend.

Unhealthy air from the Central Valley may also be a contributing factor to the Bay Area’s current air quality, according to district officials.

But for now, the air pollution is staying over the region due to a lack of onshore winds that cannot blow the substance out of the area, air district officials said.

“The unhealthy air we have experienced for much of 2015 is expected to make a brief comeback,” Jack Broadbent, the air district’s executive officer, said in a statement.

Eleven consecutive Spare the Air alerts were issued earlier this month, tying last year’s record streak.

A total of 30 alerts were issued during the 2013-14 Winter Spare the Air alert season.

“The air district will be revising our Wood Burning Rule this spring and consideration will need to be given to many new measures that can better control winter air pollution in the future,” Broadbent said.

Wood smoke makes up about one-third of air particulate pollution during the winter in the Bay Area, where there are more than 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves. It can be especially harmful for the elderly, children and people suffering from respiratory conditions, air district officials said.

People found in violation of the ban will be required to take a wood smoke pollution class, either online or by mail, in lieu of a $100 ticket. Second-time violators will be issued a $500 ticket and subsequent violations will result in tickets of higher amounts.

More information on the daily burn status can be found online at http://www.baaqmd.gov or http://www.sparetheair.org, by calling (877) 4-NO-BURN or by utilizing the Spare the Air iPhone and Android apps.

--Bay City News

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