The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has extended a Spare the Air Alert for smoke through today. The Bay Area is currently experiencing smoke impacts from the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, which has burned 21,900 acres with only five percent containment and 49 structures destroyed as of Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire.
Latest run of the experimental HRRR smoke model forecast. The loop shows near surface smoke forecast from this morning through tomorrow at 9 PM.#CAwx #cafire pic.twitter.com/cV7IlxLskq
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) October 24, 2019
"It is important that residents protect their health and avoid smoke exposure by staying indoors if heat is not an issue," Jack Broadbent, executive officer of BAAQMD, said in a statement. He added that if temperatures are too hot indoors, it is best to visit an air-cooling center or another facility, such as a library or public building with filtered air. The city offers a map for such locations.
Locals are also encouraged to rethink their commute on spare the air dates, and to take public transit or use carpooling if possible.
Additionally, a heat advisory has been issued for today. It is recommended to stay cool, drink lots of water and check on neighbors who are sensitive to heat. According to the National Weather Service, today will be sunny, with a high near 90 degrees.
Officials ask residents to set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate in order to prevent outside air from moving inside. Remember to never leave children, pets or older adults in a parked car as they heat up quickly.
Wildfire smoke can irritate eyes and airways, causing coughing, a dry scratchy throat or irritated sinuses. Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger wheezing in those who suffer from asthma or other respiratory diseases. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.
If you want to wear an N95 respirator mask, which traps small particles found in wildfire smoke, hardware stores, paint shops, art supply stores and medical supply stores usually have them available.
But officials warn that there is no clear evidence that N95 respirator use is beneficial to an individual’s health during wildfire smoke air quality events, and that there is potential harm if they are worn incorrectly. They are also dangerous for certain persons with lung or heart conditions, and children should not wear them.
A Hoodline reporter confirmed on Thursday evening that Sherwin-Williams paint store in the Inner Richmond (4733 Geary Blvd.), Ace Hardware in Duboce Triangle (2075 Market St.) and Home Depot in Daly City (303 E Lake Merced Blvd.) all had them in stock. A Cole Hardware (956 Cole St.) employee also told us in addition to the masks, they have air purifiers available.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, if you have an HVAC system with a high-efficiency filter installed, run the system’s fan as often as possible to remove particles while the air quality is poor. Filters should have a MERV 13 or higher rating.
Real-time air quality readings for the Bay Area can be found online.
