Smoke from a fast-growing wildfire in Monterey County is degrading air quality across Palo Alto and the South Bay, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District expects conditions to persist through Wednesday Aug. 12.
The BAAQMD advisory warns residents may notice hazy skies and a smoky smell through Wednesday. The district said pollution levels are not expected to exceed the EPA's national 24-hour health standard, but air quality could still become unhealthy as conditions shift with wind patterns. A Spare the Air Alert is not in effect.
The source is the Timber Fire, which ignited Sunday, Aug. 9, in the Los Padres National Forest near Big Sur. By Tuesday evening, Aug. 11, the fire had burned nearly 3,000 acres and remained just 5% contained, according to Cal Fire figures reported by the SF Standard. Some 259 structures are threatened. No structures have burned and no injuries have been reported.
Cal Fire Monterey County battalion chief Josh Silveira told the Monterey Herald that firefighting resources are still arriving. "That number's expected to grow over the next couple days as we start to get our resources starting to make their way to the incident from around the state," Silveira said Tuesday.
Nearly 500 personnel, 36 engines, 13 hand crews and eight helicopters are assigned to the fire, which is burning in steep, rugged terrain that limits ground access.
What Palo Alto residents should do
The air district recommends keeping windows and doors closed, setting car vents to recirculate and seeking buildings with filtered air when smoke is noticeable. Older adults, children and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or COPD are especially vulnerable and should limit time outdoors.
Residents can check real-time conditions on the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map at fire.airnow.gov.
Clean-air shelters
Palo Alto's five city library branches serve as clean-air shelters during normal operating hours, as we reported Aug. 5 during the last smoke advisory:
- Downtown Library, 270 Forest Ave.
- Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Rd.
- Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Rd.
- Children's Library, Harriet St.
- College Terrace Library, 2300 Wellesley St.
This is the third air quality advisory to hit Palo Alto in roughly two weeks. The previous advisories, on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, stemmed from Pacific Northwest wildfire smoke. The current smoke is from an entirely different source well south of the Bay Area.
The BAAQMD said it will continue monitoring conditions and may update guidance if the fire's behavior changes.
