Spare the Air alert extends through Labor Day

Air district officials extended a Spare the Air Alert through Monday and urged Bay Area residents to avoid driving during the holiday weekend to lessen the buildup of smog.

The air alert for smog is paired with an air quality advisory for smoke that’s also extended through Monday, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said.

A combination of high temperatures, vehicle exhaust and wildfire smoke are expected to increase smog, or ozone accumulation.

Veronica Eady, the district senior deputy executive officer, said:

“Limiting driving this holiday weekend can help reduce the buildup of harmful smog pollution.” 

When a Spare the Air Alert is issued, outdoor exercise should be done only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower, air district officials advise.

If possible, residents should stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside, if temperatures allow. When it’s too hot indoors, people should visit an air-cooling center or other building that provides filtered air.

The air district also recommends that people impacted by smoke set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate to prevent outside air from moving inside.

Air quality readings are available at baaqmd.gov/highs.

To find out when a Spare the Air Alert is in effect, residents can sign up for text alerts by texting the word “START” to 817-57, register for email AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org, call 1 (800) HELP-AIR, download the Spare the Air App or connect with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.