Poor air quality expected through Friday, triggers Spare the Air alert
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Air quality is expected to be bad in parts of the Bay Area on Friday. The poor air is prompting the first Spare the Air alerts this year triggered by wildfires and it likely won’t be the last.
Officials said the bad air is especially concerning for those with respiratory conditions, children and elderly.
Officials saw a few hours of unhealthy air for sensitive groups in the San Pablo area on Thursday. On Friday, they said it will be more widespread and urged people to take precaution.
From Communications Hill in San Jose on Thursday, there were cloudy skies as wildfire smoke spread throughout the Bay Area.
"It’s a little bit alarming because I feel like it's been like this for a couple of days," said Guadalupe Emigdio of San Jose.
SEE ALSO: Map of California air quality
"It actually makes my eyes a little teary," said Ran Yu of San Jose. "I’m very sensitive to air quality."
"You feel it in your throat a little bit and it kind of stinks but just life in the Bay I guess," said Eric Larson of San Jose.
Most of the smoke has stayed aloft. It’s expected to change.
"Our forecasters woke up this morning and the fires had really kicked up," said Aaron Richardson of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is issuing a Spare the Air alert mid-morning for Thursday and Friday after fires raging in Northern California and Washington brought in more smoke than anticipated.
"There’s so much smoke out over the ocean that we’ve had onshore flow that’s helped to clean things out for the last few days," said Richardson. "We think that onshore flow is now going to be loaded with smoke from the wildfires that will bring smoke inwards."
Officials said as the marine layer dissolves during the day, that smoke could drift down to breathing levels.
"I have an 11-year-old daughter who plays soccer outside and her coaches cancelled practices," said Stanford Health Care Pulmonologist Dr. Sharon Chinthrajah.
Dr. Chinthrajah runs an asthma clinic at Stanford.
"I have patients who have been calling me telling me their asthma has been acting up," said Dr. Chinthrajah.
She advises those sensitive to smoke to limit time outdoors.
Officials also advise using the EPA’s fire and smoke map. It does a good job of tracking conditions. If air quality becomes unhealthy, officials advise running air conditioners on re-circulate and using portable air filters.
"N95s are really the best at filtrating particulate matter," said Dr. Chinthrajah.
Cloth masks for COVID won’t protect people from superfine smoke particles. Officials said, it’s best to have a mask with a filter.
The air pollution isn’t expected to get as bad as it did during last year’s peak wildfire season. Wood burning is illegal during Spare the Air days.
Azenith Smith is a reporter for KTVU. Email Azenith at azenith.smith@fox.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @AzenithKTVU or Facebook or ktvu.com.