A Spare the Air Alert will be in place for New Year’s Day in the Bay Area, the third alert of the winter season.
The upcoming alert was announced Tuesday by the Bay Area Air District ahead of an expected increase in air pollution levels over the New Year’s holiday due to fireworks and wood burning.
“Using fireworks during New Year’s celebrations can cause unhealthy spikes in air pollution, creating excess smoke and ash in neighborhoods, and further exacerbating existing air pollution levels,” the district said in a statement.
Smoke from fireworks and firecrackers can make breathing difficult for those with respiratory conditions like asthma. Smoke from burning wood can also pose health risks because it contains harmful pollutants like particulate matter, benzene, and formaldehyde.
Although rain is in the forecast, the district does not expect it to sufficiently disperse pollution. Light winds will also allow pollution to build up across the region.
During a Spare the Air Alert, burning wood both indoors and outdoors becomes illegal. First-time violators can choose to take a wood smoke awareness course instead of paying a $100 fine. Ticket amounts increase with subsequent violations.
Gas, propane, or electric fireplaces are allowed to run during Spare the Air Alerts. Homes where wood stoves or closed fireplaces are the sole sources of heat may qualify for an exemption.
Members of the public can find out when a Spare the Air Alert is in effect by signing up for text alerts by texting “START” to 81757, calling 1-877-4NO-BURN, and visiting www.sparetheair.org.
Good ol’ BABBQ police.
Same time every year.
You can set your watch by their holiday alerts.
Pound sand.
Ridicules. With storms rolling through the area, there is only going to be beautiful fresh air all around. Sick of the nanny state. If you ever go and check the air quality monitors throughout the area during these events, you will see nothing that requires these restrictions.
A good way to check the current air quality near you is to visit:
https://www.purpleair.com/map
October 2025
‘Bay Area Air District lowers threshold for Spare the Air alerts,
could double annual warnings’
https://tinyurl.com/3fecdn2z
.
‘Study: California Wildfires in One Year Erased 16 Years of Emissions Cuts’
https://tinyurl.com/pzfae49p
When they arbitrarily lowered the threshold for spare the air days only proved how bogus these spare the air days are. There is no facts or science to support them. In fact, has there been anyone who has died or rushed to the hospital because a neighbor was enjoying a fire in their fireplace? If you are smart, ignore the BAAD, enjoy your home and a nice Cozy fire. If a fireplace nazi knocks on your door just tell him what fire? go to hell, get off your property and shut the door. Happy New Year!
Top of the mark California BS.
It could be worse…. they could require every Californian to be non flatulent, in fact in an effort to be part of the clean air solution I am publicly volunteering to be non flatulent for the entirety of 2026 ! In fact I may begin withholding it right no…. whoops! uh… at midnight tonight!
My wife already makes me wear a flatulence muffler when I go to bed. Sometimes I wonder if she’s a BayAreaBS spy.
And only on spare the air days…. I’m only human.
…. it’s all subjective….. nothing quantitative in their decision making 🙁
Curious if anybody has ever been cited , or if anyone knows someone who has been cited
Well…. I got pushed out of an elevator once.
It’s time to disband the unelected and unaccountable BAAQMD!!! This is nothing but government engaging in behavior modification and social engineering.
In celebration of your monetary scam nanny commie marxist lenninist arbitrarily oppressive state lack of scientific evidence POS whining garbage useless feckless supposed regulators BAAQMD You can feck yourself and shove every POS legislation your money scamming greasehead dictator tells you to do and shove the oak logs I will burn up your @$$ sideways Happy New year to all those that see the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bite me!!
Given salaries paid by the district, they could set thermostat
to 80 degrees, and have ability to pay their high pge bill.
Here in Clayton I see hundreds of smoke pouring fireplaces right now looking down over the area. Literally no one pays attention to these stupid alerts.
How can you have a spare the air day when it rain. This makes no sense.
Someone needs to investigate BAQA.