HAZY SKIES: Smoke from fires covers the Bay Area.

Despite all the smoke that blew over from the spreading Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, air quality was expected to significantly improve in most of the Bay Area starting Saturday night and continuing into today, officials say.

It appears to be one of the few positive effects of historically heavy winds that were expected to hit the region Saturday evening, which prompted anticipated power shutoffs for more than 2 million people and massive evacuations amid fears that the Kincade Fire could get worse.

As it had in the days preceding it, the Bay Area’s air quality deteriorated Saturday as smoke from the wildfire blew south, triggering warnings from health officials. Air in many areas immediately around the bay was hovering in ranges considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” such as older adults, children and people with lung diseases, for much of the day.

But as Saturday progressed, readings that had warned of unhealthy particulate levels had moved to “good” and “moderate” levels, with risks only for those with respiratory sensitivities, according to data from the air-sensor firm Purple Air as well as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Walter Wallace, a spokesman for the district, said that aside from areas directly affected or adjacent to the wildfire, residents can expect clearer air, enough that a regional Spare the Air alert won’t be declared for today.

Wallace said the high winds predicted to come from the northeast will drastically improve air conditions, provided they don’t cause more fires or worsen the ones still ablaze.

“What we can expect is pretty good air quality in the Bay Area for all areas except for the North Bay,” he said. “It’s definitely an improvement from a day or two ago.”

Still, there could be localized pockets of bad air, so officials are asking residents to exercise caution if they encounter any kind of smoke.

“If the smell of smoke is present in the air, residents should protect their health and avoid smoke exposure by staying indoors,” Jack Broadbent, the district’s executive officer, said in a statement Friday.

The California Department of Public Health recommends that in those conditions, residents stay inside with the doors and windows closed, reduce their physical activity and check on others who may be more vulnerable to the smoky conditions. The department said anyone experiencing chest pain, chest tightness or shortness of breath should seek medical attention immediately.

Warm weather and widespread power shutoffs expected across much of the region later in the day could make staying home more challenging, however. The Air Quality Management District said people who don’t have power should ensure they’re staying cool by visiting libraries or community centers that many cities are setting up to help residents affected by the outages.