Unhealthy air from Camp Fire continues to blanket Bay Area

ByJobina Fortson KGO logo
Monday, November 12, 2018
Unhealthy air from Camp Fire continues to blanket Bay Area
Wildfire smoke from the Camp Fire in Butte County continues to blanket the Bay Area with unhealthy air today and the haze is expected to linger through Tuesday, air quality officials said.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- What's typically a picturesque spot near the Golden Gate Bridge was clouded with a smoky sky as the Bay Area was greeted with a bright orange and red sun on Monday morning.

The region is still feeling the effects of the Camp Fire in Butte County.

"I've lived in the Bay Area for over 35 years and except for the Oakland Hills fires and Napa fires, I can't remember consistent smoke like this," Troy Blanchard from Oakland said.

As commuters moved into the city, the Embarcadero was peppered with people in masks.

RELATED: Does wearing a mask when it's smoky outside work?

"It feels eerie and worrisome and the sun looks really funny and the moon as well," Beth Gorelick from San Francisco said. "I feel really bad for the people in Paradise."

The air quality is still considered unhealthy to breathe.

STAY INDOORS AND LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE: "There's really no areas in the Bay Area that are healthy to breathe air."

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District said the air concentration Sunday was almost identical to the first day of impact on November 8th.

"I can feel it in my throat and a lot of people have said they've had headaches," Phil Powell said.

Powell commutes from Napa.

RELATED: Air quality in Bay Area worse than Beijing due to Camp Fire in Butte County

"It's probably worse there (Napa), thicker like I said the air quality was 160. But, I'm surprised to see how thick it is down here too," Powell said.

Powell said he has plenty of N95 masks left over from the North Bay Fires. People are recommended to wear the masks outside, but that doesn't replace spending time indoors.

"When I see everyone on the streets wearing them then I'm going to start wearing one," Marcus Yan said.

Air quality officials don't support Yan's philosophy. Light winds are expected for the week which means the smoke will be sticking around.

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Services has information on staying healthy, along with a map of facilities with filtered air, such as libraries and museums on its website.

RELATED: Poor air quality from CA wildfires impacts San Francisco tourists

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has called a Spare the Air alert through today. Wood burning, including manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel, is banned.

See more stories, photos and videos on the Camp Fire in Butte County.

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