Wood Burning Status

Tuesday, 2/9
(Midnight to Midnight)
Burning Allowed Image
Winter Spare the Air Suns

2 Day Forecast

Air Quality Forecast
Monday, February 08 at 12:45 PM
Tue
Wed
North Counties
39
M
Coast and Central Bay
39
G
Eastern Distirct
28
G
South Central Bay
30
G
Santa Clara Valley
30
G

Read an explanation of the color-coded AQI scale categories used in the air quality forecast.

View the extended Five-Day Air Quality Forecast.

Find out which reporting zone your city is located in.

Bubbles
Map
T-Shirt

Winter Spare the Air

Chimney Smoke

The Winter Spare the Air season runs from November 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010. During this period, it will be illegal to burn wood, pellets, or manufactured fire logs when a Winter Spare the Air Alert is issued.

When our morning forecast predicts that concentrations of PM2.5 will exceed the national health-based standard, the Air District will issue a Winter Spare the Air Alert. Winter Spare the Air Alerts will be posted on our Spare the Air home page and on the Air District’s www.baaqmd.gov home page.

In the wintertime, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) becomes the pollutant with the greatest impact on air quality. Fine particulates can bypass the body’s natural defenses, penetrating deeply into the lungs and even passing into the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure to the fine particulates in wood smoke has been linked with aggravated asthma, lung and heart disease, and increased mortality rates. Wood burning in fireplaces and woodstoves creates about one-third of the winter particulate matter air pollution in the Bay Area.

Winter Spare the Air Alerts

Winter Spare the Air Alerts will be announced in the local media and posted on the Spare the Air and www.baaqmd.gov websites.  They will also be recorded at 1-877-4NO-BURN  (1-877-466-2876), and at 1-800-HELP-AIR (1-800-435-7247).

Sign Up

You can also receive notification of Winter Spare the Air Alerts by signing up for e-mail AirAlerts and automatic Phone Alerts and “checking before you burn.”

Wood Smoke Complaints

Residents and businesses can report wood smoke concerns in their area by completing the online wood burning complaint form or calling the wood burning complaint line: 1-877-4NO-BURN (1-877-466-2876).

Spare the Air Program

The Spare the Air Program was established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to educate people about air pollution and to encourage them to change their behavior to improve air quality.

On this site you will find daily air quality forecasts for the Bay Area, information about air pollution and its health effects, opportunities for community members and employees join up to prevent pollution, clean air tips, and a variety of other educational resources.

News

Wood-Burning Rule

In July of 2008, the Air District passed Regulation 6, Rule 3: Wood-Burning Devices  to reduce fine particulate matter air pollution from wood smoke.

How to Comply

Here is a quick overview of the requirements in the Air District's wood burning rule.

PM Exceedances

Winter 2009-2010

Winter Spare the Air Alerts
7
National 24-Hour PM2.5 Excess Days
6
National 24-Hour PM10 Excess Days
0
California 24-Hour PM10 Excess Days
0