Bay Area Air District issues Spare the Air alert, wood burning ban for Thanksgiving 2025

By Tim Fang

The Bay Area Air District announced a Winter Spare the Air alert and a ban on wood burning is in effect beginning Wednesday and through the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the district issued the alert saying smoke from increased wood burning, light winds and cold overnight temperatures is expected to cause elevated pollution levels. The alert is the first of the winter season.

“High pressure over Northern California will act like a lid, trapping smoke at ground level,” district officials said in its statement. “Offshore winds may also transport air pollution from the Central Valley into the Bay Area.”

Officials said wood smoke contains carcinogens such as particulate matter and carbon monoxide. Exposure to wood smoke has been linked to serious respiratory illnesses, increased risk of heart attacks and certain types of cancer.

Children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions are particularly vulnerable.

During the alert, residents and businesses are not allowed to use wood fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or any other wood-burning devices. Use of natural gas, propane or electric fireplaces is allowed.

Officials say exemptions are available for homes without permanently installed heating where wood stoves or fireplaces are the only source of heat. Exemptions are only available for wood-burning devices that are EPA certified or a pellet-fueled devices registered with the Air District.

First-time violators of the wood burning ban will be encouraged to take a wood smoke awareness course or receive a $100 ticket. A second violation is $500, with the ticket amount increasing for subsequent violations.

Wood smoke complaints can be filed by calling 1-877-4NO-BURN (1-877-466-2876) or on the Spare the Air website.