Politics & Government
Burn Ban Returns Saturday
Jan. 14 has been declared a Spare the Air Day, according to regional authorities citing a forecast of increased pollution.
From the Bay Area Air Quality Management District:
Wood burning is banned both indoors and outdoors Jan. 14, for the full 24 hours.
Air quality in the Bay Area is forecast to be unhealthy. It is illegal for Bay Area residents to burn wood or other solid fuels in fireplaces, wood stoves and inserts, pellet stoves, outdoor fire-pits, or other wood-burning devices.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This wood-burning ban will be in effect for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, central and southern Sonoma and southwestern Solano Counties. (Visit www.sparetheair.org/Stay-Informed/Todays-Air-Quality/Reporting-Zones.aspx to see if your city is located within the Air District.)
Winter air pollution is mainly caused by particulates or soot pollution from wood smoke. Smoke from wood-burning fires is linked to illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and lung disease, and is especially harmful for children and the elderly.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
For more information about the Wood Burning Rule, or to check before you burn, visit www.sparetheair.org or call 1-877-4NO-BURN.
You can also call 1-800-430-1515 and register to receive automatic phone calls when a Winter Spare the Air Alert has been called.
To see the current air quality forecast visit www.sparetheair.org.
Source: Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
