Bay Area air quality advisory extended through Saturday
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has extended Friday's air quality advisory through Saturday.
The district blamed the advisory on smoke from wildfires in the western U.S and Canada. It initially issued an advisory regarding the air quality late Thursday afternoon for Aug. 8-9.
"An inversion layer combined with local pollution and residual smoke from fires in the western U.S. and Canada is impacting air quality in the Bay Area," the district said in a statement.
The district said conditions can change rapidly and the location and amount of smoke at ground level is hard to predict. The public can check for real-time smoke pollution levels in their local area with the U.S. EPA's fire and smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov.
Residents can also check air quality on the BAAQMD website, at EPA AirNow and Purple Air, which tracks particulate matter in the air.
Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants, and exposure is unhealthy, even for short periods.
The district said Bay Area residents should protect their health by avoiding exposure. If possible, and temperatures allow, stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside.
Residents can also reduce their exposure to smoke by setting air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate to prevent outside air from moving inside. The use of indoor air filtration or going to a clean air center or other location with filtered air, such as a library or mall, can also help reduce smoke exposure.
The district said it will closely monitor air quality throughout the region for smoke impacts. Pollutant levels are not expected to exceed the national 24-hour health standard, so no Spare the Air Alert is in effect.
Residents can register for email air alerts at sparetheair.org, call 1(800) HELP-AIR, download the Spare the Air app or connect with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.