San Francisco air quality as bad as Beijing due to wildfire smoke

[Morphine Prince 110,031]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Smoke from the wildfires north of San Francisco plunged air quality levels in the Bay Area to the same unhealthy level as China's notoriously polluted capital, sending people to emergency rooms and forcing schools to close and people to wear masks when they step outside.

The region has endured days of choking smoke since the fires began Sunday night and claimed at least 31 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. The smoke cast a dull haze over San Francisco's scenic skyline, and poor visibility has led to numerous flight delays and cancellations at the city's airport.

Air quality in most of the region Thursday and Friday was as bad as smog-choked Beijing, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

"We have unprecedented levels of smoke and particles in the air that we normally don't see," said Ralph Borrmann, a spokesman for the district.

He called it the worst air quality ever recorded in many parts of the Bay Area.

Since Wednesday, about 15 percent of flights in and out of San Francisco International Airport experienced delays because air traffic controllers have had to separate aircrafts at a greater distance, airport spokesman Doug Yakel said Friday.

Officials warned that very fine smoke particles, thinner than a human hair, can get lodged in the lungs and into the bloodstream, causing irreparable damage to the body. In Solano County, hospitals there received more than 250 people who complained of toxic air inhalation, county health officer Bela Matyas said Thursday.

At an Ace Hardware store in San Francisco's financial district, phones were ringing nonstop with customers looking to buy breathing masks. But they were sold out, as were most stores in the area.

With winds expected to keep blowing in smoke from the fires to populated areas this weekend, many schools decided to close Friday. Organizers canceled weekend events, including an Oktoberfest in Walnut Creek and a fitness festival and half marathon in San Francisco.

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wildfires-create-worst-air-quality-san-francisco-bay-075011692.html

 

[Brolysskins 4,166]

I live here in SF and work downtown in the HEART of SF (Tony Bennet's ). You can see the ashes in the air and the sun looks red like it did during the eclipse. It's really bad y'all. It's been full of smoke for about 5 days now and probably not going anywhere until the rain/wind comes next week. 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Omg 😷😷😷

[Applause 650]

Yea the fire is bad here next to Fairfield. I am next to the Napa/Atlas fire.  

[Emvee 8,870]

2 hours ago, Brolysskins said:

I live here in SF and work downtown in the HEART of SF (Tony Bennet's ). You can see the ashes in the air and the sun looks red like it did during the eclipse. It's really bad y'all. It's been full of smoke for about 5 days now and probably not going anywhere until the rain/wind comes next week. 

Hey neighbor! 

 

Yeah, I can co-sign this. There’s literally ashes everywhere and it constantly smells like campfire. Feel bad for all those people who lost their homes. I was just in Sonoma two weekends ago... 

[Another Bad Kid 281]

My school is giving out masks but simple hospital masks aren’t really going to do anything...

[Brolysskins 4,166]

On 10/13/2017 at 6:08 PM, New Compassion said:

Hey neighbor! 

 

Yeah, I can co-sign this. There’s literally ashes everywhere and it constantly smells like campfire. Feel bad for all those people who lost their homes. I was just in Sonoma two weekends ago... 

Hi neighbor, lol where are you from? is it smoky there today cause it sure is downtown today