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NFL Monitoring Bay Area Air Quality Prior To 49ers-Giants Monday Night Game

SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- NFL officials were monitoring the blanket of smoke covering the Bay Area, making sure the polluted skies do not degraded to a level that would force the league to cancel Monday night's New York Giants-San Francisco 49ers game.

At 10 a.m. the Air Quality Index for Santa Clara was at 164 -- well below the maximum limit of 200 set by the league.

The Oakland Raiders did play under smoggy skies Sunday, losing to the San Diego Chargers, 20-6.

"You see the ash in the air, it puts things in perspective," Raiders QB Derek Carr said the smoky air enveloping the Oakland Coliseum. "We're playing a game -- a game a lot of people care about. A game where a lot of people care about, are putting money and effort into, but at the end of the day, people are losing their lives. When it comes to fires, I do whatever the league says. Play, don't play, I don't care. I'm more concerned helping those people (fire victims)."

Those sentiments were echoed by head coach Jon Gruden.

"I think more importantly, let's just hope the fires end and hopefully we keep things in perspective," Gruden said. "It's been a tough week in here in California."

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Meanwhile, Bay Area air quality officials extended their hazardous air warning until Friday. They recommended that residents limit their outdoor activities, use of cars and not burn fires in their fireplaces.

The smoke plume from the Camp Fire which is just 25 percent contained and has burned 113,000 acres is being pushed over the Bay Area and out at least 200 miles into the Pacific.

Air quality values in the Bay Area were in the unhealthy category Monday morning, ranging from 119 to 184 as of 10 a.m. The highest reading was for the Solano County community of Rio Vista which showed an AQI number of 230. Sacramento was also above the 200 reading.

You can check Bay Area air quality conditions in real-time here:
http://aqicn.org/map/california/#@g/37.9527/-122.1281/9z

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