Bay Area experiencing smoky conditions due to wildfires
SAN FRANCISCO - A blanket of smoke is resting over the entire Bay Area.
Look just about any direction, and you will see the thick haze resting over the Bay Area, smoke blowing southward from wildfires burning in far Northern California and Oregon.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District advises that the air quality throughout the Bay is unhealthy.
"This morning while we were evaluating the current observations also taking into account the forecast model we realized that we also needed to alert the public," said Duc Nguyen, an air quality meteorologist at Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Many people in the more sensitive groups are opting to wear masks, not for COVID-19, but to filter the smoke. Michael Valmonte says he walks along the Embarcadero daily, and while he's not willing to give up his exercise, he is exercising his discretion and wearing a mask.
"I always read the weather report, and it says today is really, really bad and there's no breeze," said Valmonte. "There's no wind today. Usually, it's a little windy down here, blow some of this smoke away. But, today no."
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South Bay air quality suffers under smoky haze due to wildfires
South Bay air quality suffers as smoke from wildfires hundreds of miles away hangs over the region.
Across the Golden Gate, visitors turned an eye back to San Francisco hoping to capture a picture-perfect moment. Angelique Wilson, has family visiting all the way from Australia.
"It's difficult, said Wilson. "Everything's blown out with the smoke. It is difficult to kind of, cut through it and get a clear shot. But it's still beautiful, still something to see."
In San Francisco, with poor air quality and the possibility of warm weather in October, many are already looking for relief.
At the Boys and Girls Club in the city's Mission District, San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management announced a first-of-its-kind "Extreme Weather Resilience Program;" distributing air conditions and air purifiers to 39 community organizations.
The idea is similar to cooling centers in the summer, and warming centers in the winter.
"The idea is that we want to ensure that community-based organizations can continue to serve the community during a heat or air quality event," said Mary Ellen Carroll from San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District says we can expect these smoky skies Wednesday and Thursday, but they say they cannot predict which neighborhoods will be most impacted, saying with smoke there are simply too many variables.