Washburn Fire smoke prompts air quality advisory for parts of Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO -- An air quality advisory will go into effect Monday for parts of the Bay Area due to smoke from the Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park. 

Winds are expected to carry smoke from the fire into parts of the region. Because of this, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued an Air Quality Advisory for the North Bay and East Bay on Monday.

Officials said that, even though residents may see hazy skies, smoke particles are expected to stay in the upper levels of the atmosphere.

"We want to take that precautionary measure to let people know you may see visual impacts of smoke aloft but we are expecting the air quality to be in the moderate range around the Bay Area so we want to make sure people are aware of the difference between what they're seeing with what is actually going on."

Air quality officials said it is possible for some of that smoke to make its way down to the surface and affect the air we breathe.

A great resource to check the air quality where you live and make sure you're safe is the AirNow Fire and Smoke map which shows current wildfire locations and their associated smoke plumes. 

The AirNow Fire and Smoke map accurately measures the density of wildfire ash and particles in the air. 

"I definitely think it's an expected summer thing that you're going to have hazy, smoky days in the Bay Area now, unfortunately," said Kelley Crane, who lives in Walnut Creek.

Officials said people with respiratory illnesses, children and older adults should be cautious. They said if you smell smoke, it means smoke particles have reached the surface and you are breathing them in.

If that happens, it's best to stay inside and keep the doors and windows closed.

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Spare the Air: Air Quality Forecast

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