Air quality plunges around the Bay Area

KALW | By Molly Blair Salyer

Published September 20, 2023 at 8:09 PM PDT

In what is becoming one of California’s least beloved fall traditions, smoky air has returned to the Bay Area yet again. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District advised residents yesterday to limit outdoor exposure by remaining indoors through Thursday. When outside, a well fitting N95 mask is recommended.

For much of the area's unhoused population, finding places to safely shelter inside when the air is smoky is not easy. Local groups, such as Mask Oakland, work to distribute smoke-filtering masks to this at-risk group.

For up to date air quality information visit http://fire.airnow.gov

Molly Blair Salyer

I was born and raised in San Francisco and grew up in SF Unified, listening to KALW. An avid traveller and cultural adventurer, I spent the 15 years leading up to the 2020 pandemic running youth hostels around the Bay Area and exploring as much as possible. More recently I've completed my MA at SF State in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts. I'm passionate about culture and community, and believe joy and pleasure are radical routes to social progress.

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