10th 'Spare The Air' Alert Issued In Bay Area

BAY AREA, CA – A "Spare the Air" alert has been issued for Thursday in the San Francisco Bay Area. An excessive amount of smog is expected in the region, air quality officials said.

It's the 10th time the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has called an alert for smog in 2017. With a heat wave washing over the region, the district has issued four alerts since last Friday.

"Extreme heat starting late this week is expected to cause unhealthy air quality in the Bay Area likely through the Labor Day weekend," Jack Broadbent, executive director of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, said in a statement.

Spare the Air alerts are issued when smog is forecast to reach unhealthy levels.

Officials with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District are asking commuters to consider taking transit, carpooling or working from home Thursday to improve the air quality. Air quality officials also advise people to limit outdoor activities.

"We need to change how we get around and stop driving alone to reduce our pollution levels and protect our health," Broadbent said.

Smog can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. Smog is particularly harmful to young children, seniors and people with respiratory and heart conditions. Long-term exposure to smog can reduce the functioning of someone's lungs.

To find out when a Spare the Air alert is in effect, people can register at www.sparetheair.org, call 800-HELP-AIR, download the Spare the Air smartphone app or connect with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.

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