Air District asks public to not burn wood Thanksgiving Day

Air quality is expected to be in the Moderate category on Thanksgiving Day and extensive wood burning over the holiday could cause air quality to become unhealthy.

A Spare the Air Alert is NOT in effect and wood burning is allowed, but strongly discouraged.

“We are asking Bay Area residents to help keep air pollution low this Thanksgiving by not burning wood indoors or outdoors,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District. “If we refrain from having a fire this Thanksgiving, we can all enjoy a healthier, happier holiday weekend.”

Like cigarette smoke, wood smoke contains fine particles and carcinogenic substances that make the air harmful to breathe. Wood smoke is the major source of air pollution in the Bay Area in the wintertime and is especially harmful to children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions.

Bay Area residents can find out if a Spare the Air Alert is in effect by:

• Signing up for text alerts. To sign up, text the word “START” to the number 817-57
• Visiting www.sparetheair.org or www.baaqmd.gov
• Signing up for e-mail AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org/alerts
• Signing up for phone alerts at www.sparetheair.org/alerts
• Downloading the Spare the Air, Bay Area iPhone or Android app
• Connecting with Spare the Air on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

In the winter, wood smoke from the 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves in the Bay Area is the single largest source of air pollution, contributing about one-third of the harmful fine particulate pollution in the air. One fireplace burning can pollute an entire neighborhood. Exposure to wood smoke—like cigarette smoke—has been linked to serious respiratory illnesses and even increased risk of heart attacks. Breathing fine particulates accounts for more than 90 percent of premature deaths related to air pollution.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area. Connect with the Air District via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For more information about Spare the Air, visit www.sparetheair.org.