Bay Area residents urged to avoid wood burning this Thanksgiving

Bay Area Air Quality Management District regulators are asking people not to burn wood during the Thanksgiving holiday to help reduce air pollution and protect public health.
The air district made the request Tuesday, saying that while a Spare the Air alert isn’t in effect and people are allowed to have fires, wood smoke contains fine particulate matter and cancer-causing substances.
“Burning wood in the fireplace releases harmful pollutants inside and outside the home that pose real health risks,” said air district executive officer Philip Fine. “By skipping a fire and choosing cleaner heating alternatives, we can protect the air we breathe and ensure a safe and healthy holiday for all.”
Air District officials say there are 1.2 million fireplaces and wood stoves in the Bay Area and that they are the largest source of wintertime air pollution.
The district encourages people to replace fireplaces and wood-burning stoves with an electric heat pump and offers grants of between $3,000 and $10,500 through its Clean HEET program.
Details of the program can be found at the district website at www.baaqmd.gov.