Wood Burner? Heed 'Spare The Air' Alerts

The Winter Spare the Air season has started. It runs from through February 29. 

Each day by 2 p.m., the Air District will issue an air quality forecast for the next day. If air quality is forecast to be unhealthy, a Winter Spare the Air Alert will be called. The alert will be in effect the entire next day, for a full 24 hours.

During a Winter Spare the Air Alert, the use of fireplaces, pellet stoves, wood stoves, fireplace inserts and outdoor fire pits is illegal.

First time violators are issued a warning letter. Those who are found in violation a second time are issued a citation and are subject to a $400 fine. Repeat violators who continue to burn in violation of the regulation will face increasing financial penalties.

If you spot a violation, you can can file a wood smoke complaint online.

During the winter, wood smoke is the largest source of harmful soot pollution. Please learn something about the health effects of wood smoke, as well as detailed information about the Wood Burning Rule and how to comply with it.

Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about the Winter Spare the Air program.

Residents and business owners who own or use any indoor or outdoor fireplace, fire pit or wood or pellet stove can do the following:

• Call 1-877-4NO-BURN (1-877-466-2876)
• Sign up for automatic phone alerts by calling 1-800-430-1515
• Sign up for email AirAlerts 
• Follow @SpareTheAir on Twitter and become a fan of “Spare the Air, Bay Area” on Facebook