Current:Home > ContactThese parts of California are suffering from poor air quality from wildfire smoke -EquityZone
These parts of California are suffering from poor air quality from wildfire smoke
Algosensey View
Date:2025-04-09 09:26:58
A smoky haze is currently blanketing the San Francisco Bay Area due to wildfires burning in the northwest, creating unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups.
The smoke stemming from multiple wildfires that continue to burn in rural areas of Northwestern California is getting pushed southward across parts of Northern California, including the Bay Area. Much of the smoke and haze is located in the upper atmosphere.
MORE: Wildfires in recent years have reversed some of the progress made in eliminating air pollution, new study suggests
Fire officials are letting them burn out since they are not threatening people or property.
The smoke was so thick on Wednesday that the San Francisco Bay Bridge was barely visible from the coastlines along the bay and the San Francisco skyline was barely visible across the bay from the Port of Oakland, ABC San Francisco station KGO reported.
The Air Quality Index for San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon was at 113, or "Code Orange," signifying unhealthy air pollution levels for sensitive groups.
Much of the smoke and haze is located in the upper atmosphere. The National Weather Service has not issued any air quality alerts for the region, but the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a "Spare the Air" alert through Thursday, which bans burning wood, fire logs or other solid fuel to prevent from further contributing to the poor air quality.
MORE: New app will allow New Yorkers to avoid commuting through the poorest air quality
A fire weather watch was in effect for much of Wednesday for the North Bay Hills and Solano County due to gusty winds and low humidity. Red flag warnings were also issued for portions of Napa County, according to the NWS.
San Francisco resident Sarah Ryherd told KGO that it smells like a campfire around the city.
Another resident told the station that they had put a mask on after he began to feel the effects of the air pollution in their throat.
Some schools in the region canceled sports activities due to the smoke, KGO reported. The fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, contained in wildfire smoke can cause serious health problems if inhaled, especially for vulnerable populations, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
MORE: HSmoke blankets San Francisco as residents forced to don masks to breathe
Air quality will likely not improve in the region until Friday, said KGO meteorologist Lisa Argen.
Residents were advised to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Cash App to award $15M to users in security breach settlement: How to file a claim
- 1000-Lb. Sisters' Tammy Slaton Shares Glimpse at Hair Transformation
- Forecasters still predict highly active Atlantic hurricane season in mid-season update
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword, Get Moving! (Freestyle)
- Man charged in 1977 strangulations of three Southern California women after DNA investigation
- Kelsea Ballerini announces new album, ‘Patterns.’ It isn’t what you’d expect: ‘I’m team no rules’
- Small twin
- 'It Ends with Us': All the major changes between the book and Blake Lively movie
Ranking
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Police shooting of Baltimore teen prompts outrage among residents
- Former Uvalde schools police chief says he’s being ‘scapegoated’ over response to mass shooting
- 'Euphoria' star Hunter Schafer says co-star Dominic Fike cheated on her
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Tennis Star Rafael Nadal Shares Honest Reason He Won’t Compete at 2024 US Open
- Ferguson marks 10 years since Michael Brown’s death. While there’s some progress, challenges persist
- Huge California wildfire chews through timber in very hot and dry weather
Recommendation
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
Jelly Roll’s Wife Bunnie XO Faced “Death Scare” After Misdiagnosed Aneurysm
James Webb Telescope reveals mystery about the energy surrounding a black hole
Wall Street rallies to its best day since 2022 on encouraging unemployment data; S&P 500 jumps 2.3%
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
Investigator says ‘fraudulent’ gift to Florida’s only public historically Black university is void
2024 Olympics: Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma Taken Off Track in Stretcher After Scary Fall
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is deficient in Vitamin D. How do you know if you're one of them?