Politics & Government
3rd Bad Air Day in a Row – No Wood Fires in Bay Area
Bay Area air officials say air pollution remains at unhealthy levels during the current cold snap and have banned wood burning for the third day in a row.
By David Mills
Keep the wood in the wood shed.
Another Winter Spare the Air alert has been issued for Tuesday.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District made the announcement on Monday afternoon, saying the prolonged cold weather is trapping pollutants close the ground and causing unhealthy air.
It will be the third day in a row that an alert has been in effect.
The Tuesday alert prohibits Bay Area residents from burning wood, manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel both indoors and outdoors for 24 hours. Those with no other source of heat are exempt.
First-time violators of the ban are given the option of taking a wood smoke awareness class or paying a $100 fine. Second violations result in a $500 fine and the penalties rise with each violation after that.
It's the seventh Spare the Air alert ordered this winter.
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