With the Thanksgiving holiday looming, Bay Area air quality officials strongly discouraged residents from wood burning, but stopped short of issuing a ban.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District said in a statement Tuesday said extensive wood burning over the long weekend could cause air quality to reach unhealthy levels, particularly in inland valleys. Air quality on Thanksgiving Day is forecast to be in the moderate category.
"We encourage residents to refrain from burning wood this holiday weekend to help keep air pollution low," said Sharon Landers, the agency's interim executive officer."Wood smoke creates unhealthy air inside and outside the home." For the past several years, the agency has issued similar warnings during Thanksgiving and Christmas, saying the fine particles and carcinogens found in wood smoke can hurt children, older adults and those with respiratory issues.
According to the agency, wood smoke from the region's 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves is the single largest source of air pollution in the winter. Wood smoke contributes about one-third of the harmful fine particulate pollution in the air, with fine particulates accounting for more than 90% of premature deaths linked to air pollution.
Exposure to wood smoke has been linked to serious respiratory illnesses and increased risk of heart attacks, the agency said.
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