Smoke from the fire hinders air quality, leading to health warnings and flight delays.
As winds push smoke from the Camp Fire to the south, air quality in the Bay Area is expected to worsen Monday.
Ryan Walbrun, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service for the Bay Area, said he expects smoke concentration levels in the air to be high in those areas through at least Monday.
The forecast depends on the behavior of the Camp Fire — high winds peaking in Butte County on Sunday could cause the blaze to spread to the south.
“A lot of the active heat is south of Paradise now,” Walbrun said. “It’s moving in the direction toward Oroville but still well outside of it at this time.”
Low visibility caused by the smoke led to flight delays Sunday at San Francisco Interna-
tional Airport, said Chris Morgan, an airport spokesman.
The FAA implemented two Ground Delay Programs, which limit the number of arrivals an airport can accept in a given time. The first started at 9 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m., and another ran from 6:30 p.m. until midnight. Two cancellations were reported by Sunday evening, plus 202 delays, averaging about 35 minutes, said Airport Duty Manager Maria Buyco. She added that it’s unclear whether all were caused by the ground delay program.
The local air quality index of 156 is unhealthy and can exacerbate conditions for those with heart and lung diseases. Officials at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District recommend residents stay inside, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid exercising outside.
A winter Spare the Air alert is also in effect, banning residents from burning wood indoors or outdoors.
Even short-term exposure to fine particles can cause persistent cough, runny nose, phlegm and wheezing, according to the California Department of Public Health. The department warns that surgical masks, dust masks, bandannas or other face coverings do not offer protection from particle pollution. For adults, N95 or P100 masks are recommended.