Current:Home > FinanceThese parts of California are suffering from poor air quality from wildfire smoke -Wealth Evolution Experts
These parts of California are suffering from poor air quality from wildfire smoke
View
Date:2025-04-15 14:49:57
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! (498)
Related
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Buy now, pay later plans can rack up steep interest charges. Here's what shoppers should know.
- In Atlanta, Proposed ‘Cop City’ Stirs Environmental Justice Concerns
- Why Kentucky Is Dead Last for Wind and Solar Production
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Blac Chyna Celebrates 10 Months of Sobriety Amid Personal Transformation Journey
- Raven-Symoné and Wife Miranda Pearman-Maday Set the Record Straight on That Relationship NDA
- Keep Up With Khloé Kardashian’s Style and Save 60% On Good American Jeans, Bodysuits, and More
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- How to ‘Make Some Good’ Out of East Palestine, Ohio, Rail Disaster? Ban Vinyl Chloride, Former EPA Official Says
Ranking
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Margot Robbie, Matt Damon and More Stars Speak Out as SAG-AFTRA Goes on Strike
- Maralee Nichols Shares Glimpse Inside Adventures With Her and Tristan Thompson's Son Theo
- Stop Buying Expensive Button Downs, I Have This $24 Shirt in 4 Colors and It Has 3,400+ 5-Star Reviews
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Aruba Considers Enshrining the ‘Rights of Nature’ in Its Constitution
- From Gas Wells to Rubber Ducks to Incineration, the Plastics Lifecycle Causes ‘Horrific Harm’ to the Planet and People, Report Shows
- A New Report Is Out on Hurricane Ian’s Destructive Path. The Numbers Are Horrific
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Matthew Lawrence Teases His Happily Ever After With TLC's Chilli
Proof Patrick and Brittany Mahomes' Daughter Sterling Is Already a Natural Athlete
How Auditing Giant KPMG Became a Global Sustainability Leader While Serving Companies Accused of Forest Destruction
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
Shell Refinery Unit Had History of Malfunctions Before Fire
Florence Pugh Saves Emily Blunt From a Nip Slip During Oppenheimer Premiere
This Secret About Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka Casting Proves He Had a Golden Ticket