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Wildfire Smoke Prompts Spare The Air Alert Through Wednesday

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air Alert and Smoke Advisory for Tuesday and Wednesday because of the ongoing wildfires burning in the North Bay.

As of 10:00 a.m., the AirNow map by the Environmental Protection Agency showed unhealthy air quality in the fire zone, the Vallejo area and in the eastern half of San Francisco.

Unhealthy Air
Air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area at 10:00 a.m. on October 17, 2017. Areas in red show unhealthy air quality, areas in orange are unhealthy for sensitive groups, while areas in yellow show moderate air quality. (EPA)

Air district officials recommend that Bay Area residents, particularly those in Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties where the fires are burning, stay in buildings like libraries or shopping malls that have filtered air if they are not able to temporarily move out of the area.

Several wildfires are continuing to burn in the counties, with the three largest ones having burned more than 140,000 acres since Oct. 8.

People in the fire-impacted counties are advised to use a N95 mask that filters particulate pollution, according to the air district.

Children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions should take extra caution because of the smoke.

Air district officials are asking residents to avoid activities that create additional air pollution in the region, such as wood burning, lawn mowing, leaf-blowing, barbecuing or making any unnecessary trips by car.

TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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