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Winter Spare-The-Air Alert Issued For Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued its sixth Winter Spare the Air alert for Monday, banning all wood burning throughout the region.

The air alert was issued due to a cold, stagnant weather pattern that has allowed air pollution to rise to a level that was expected to be unhealthy on Monday.

KPIX 5 Weather Center: Current Conditions & Forecasts

"Beacause still weather and high pollkution levels have persisted in the region, the Air District is extending this Winter Spare the Air Alert for another day," said Jack Broadbent, the air district's executive officer.

Using fireplaces, woodstoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or any other wood-burning device is illegal during a Winter Spare the Air alert, except in homes where woodstoves or fireplaces are the only heat source.

Violators could face fines of up to $500.

To file a complaint or to find out more about the alert, residents can visit the district's website at www.sparetheair.org or call (877) 4-NO-BURN.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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