Bay Area Spare The Air Alert, Wood Burning Ban Enters 10th Day
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A 10th consecutive Winter Spare the Air alert has been issued for Tuesday by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, banning wood burning in the region.
An ongoing cold weather pattern combined with low winds have prompted the string of alerts, issued by the air district when air pollution rises to unhealthy levels.
The alert is the 14th since the district's Winter Spare the Air season began on Nov. 1 and bans wood burning both indoors and outdoors, with exemptions for homes that have no other source of heat.
First-time violators of the ban are offered a wood smoke awareness class or a $100 ticket. Subsequent violations can lead to increasing fines, according to the air district.
The daily burn status in the Bay Area can be found online at www.baaqmd.gov or www.sparetheair.org, by calling (877) 4-NO-BURN or by signing up for Spare the Air iPhone or Android apps.
(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
