Overview

• The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Spare the Air alert and air quality advisory remain in effect through Friday as smoke from the Green and Butler wildfires filters into the region.
• Most PM2.5 concentrations are forecast to stay below the EPA’s unhealthy threshold for the general public, though moderate levels were recorded Thursday in the Tri-Valley and Santa Clara Valley.
• Children, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions are urged to limit outdoor activities and use indoor filtration or clean-air centers to reduce exposure.
• Meteorologists predict shifting winds late Friday into Saturday will push smoke eastward, bringing modest air quality improvements over the weekend.
• Some district officials have questioned the necessity of the Spare the Air alert, noting pollutant levels are not expected to exceed national 24-hour health standards.