Air quality advisory issued for Bay Area due to Canadian wildfires
The Bay Area Air District has issued an air quality advisory for the region on Monday and Tuesday, due to smoke from wildfires burning in multiple Canadian provinces.
In a statement Monday, the agency said smoky and hazy skies may be visible, the smell of smoke may be possible and air quality may become unhealthy. Conditions may change rapidly, with the location and amount of smoke at ground level being hard to predict.
Dozens of wildfires continue to rage in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, leading to the evacuation of more than 25,000 people. As of Sunday afternoon, at least 89 wildfires were considered to be burning "out of control", according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Smoke from the fires is also expected to impact other part of the U.S., with air quality alerts being issued for portions of the Upper Midwest.
Air District officials say wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants and that exposure is unhealthy, even for short periods of time. The elderly, children and those with respiratory illnesses are particularly vulnerable and should take extra precautions.
The agency said a Spare the Air alert is not in effect, as pollutant levels are not expected to exceed the national 24-hour health standard.
Residents are urged to check the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ for real-time smoke pollution levels in your area.
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