Smoky air will linger through Monday
Bay Area residents advised to limit outdoor activities
The hazardous smoke from Butte County’s catastrophic Camp Fire has settled into the Bay Area and is expected to blanket the region at least through Monday, officials said Saturday, and could adversely affect air quality through the earlier part of this week.
Air quality in the region remained at “unhealthy” levels Saturday without any hint of easing up Sunday, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Winds out of the northeast are forecast to to blow smoke across the region, where it will continue to be trapped at ground level by a high pressure system over Northern California.
“The heavy plumes of smoke are making their way straight down into the Bay Area,” said spokeswoman Lisa Fasano. “Without any winds to move it out, it’s going to just continue to sit here.”
Even people who usually aren’t sensitive to poor air quality are feeling the affects, Fasano said. For that reason, everyone should limit their time outdoors and keep their doors and windows closed, she added.
“Even if you’re outside for a short time, you’ll feel your throat getting dry and scratchy,” Fasano said. “It’s
from all the particulates in the air. It’s best for people to stay indoors.”
The smoke created a thick,
eerie haze that lingered over the entire Bay Area, shutting out sunlight and making it difficult to breathe.
SFO Saturday warned of ongoing flight delays and cancellations through the weekend and advised travelers to check with their airlines for details. As of Saturday, arriving morning flights were delayed by an average of 48 minutes due to the weather and low visibility, but the delays lessened to about 15 minutes later in the day, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Airports in San Jose and Oakland weren’t affected.
Seizing on the advice of health experts to spend time indoors, the de Young Museum in San Francisco offered free admission for the weekend and people looking to escape the smoke. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art opened its permanent collection on the second floor and its Public Knowledge Library for visitors for free.
Officials advised people to limit outdoor activities that could make the air worse, such as lawn mowing, leaf blowing, driving, and barbecuing. Burning wood, fire logs, pellets, or any other solid fuels in your fireplace, wood stove, or other wood-burning device is illegal during a Winter Spare the Air Alert that is expected to continue through Monday.
“We’re at the mercy of the weather and the fire,” Fasano said.