Wildfire Smoke Prompts Air Quality Advisory In Bay Area

BAY AREA, CA – Smoke from the Branscomb Fire in the North Bay prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue an air quality advisory through Monday throughout the Bay Area.

By late Sunday afternoon, smoke from the Branscomb Fire in Solano County was thick south along the Interstate Highway 680 corridor through central Contra Costa County and south as far as San Jose. While winds Sunday had been largely from the north, changing wind patterns could impact air quality through Monday night in the Bay Area.

If it looks or smells smoky outside, residents should stay indoors with windows and doors closed, according to the air district. Residents should also set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate to prevent outside air from coming inside. If need be, consider moving to a location with clean filtered air such as a public library, movie theater or shopping mall.

Smoky conditions can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat and irritated sinuses. Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger wheezing in people who suffer from asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions are particularly susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take extra precautions to avoid exposure, air district officials said.

Click here for real-time air quality readings.

Also see:

Fires Erupt In Solano County, Visible Across Bay Area

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Photo by Ashley Ludwig/Patch