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The Wine Country wildfires have created the dirtiest air ever seen in the Bay Area, regulators said Tuesday, as they intensified health warnings about the smoke.

“We are reporting the worst air quality ever recorded for smoke in many parts of the Bay Area,” said Tom Flannigan, spokesman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “This is similar to what you see in Beijing China in bad air days there.”

Soot readings in many areas have reached levels considered very unhealthy or hazardous, air quality regulators said.

And the smoke may linger for days, underscoring the need for people to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid strenuous exercise in smoky areas, air regulators cautioned.

 

  • The view of the Bay Area is filled with a smokey haze on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 in Oakland, Calif.(Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

    The view of the Bay Area is filled with a smokey haze on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 in Oakland, Calif.(Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

  • GLEN ELLEN, CA - OCTOBER 10:  Heavy smoke hangs over a vineyard as the Nuns Fire continues to burn on October 10, 2017 in Glen Ellen, California. Fifteen people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 2,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

    GLEN ELLEN, CA - OCTOBER 10: Heavy smoke hangs over a vineyard as the Nuns Fire continues to burn on October 10, 2017 in Glen Ellen, California. Fifteen people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 2,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

  • The view of the downtown San Jose filled with a smoky haze in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

    The view of the downtown San Jose filled with a smoky haze in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

  • A smokey haze view of the Bay Area seen from the Mormon Temple in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

    A smokey haze view of the Bay Area seen from the Mormon Temple in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

  • GLEN ELLEN, CA - OCTOBER 10:  A lone oak tree sits in a charred field as the Nuns Fire continues to burn on October 10, 2017 in Glen Ellen, California. Fifteen people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 2,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

    GLEN ELLEN, CA - OCTOBER 10: A lone oak tree sits in a charred field as the Nuns Fire continues to burn on October 10, 2017 in Glen Ellen, California. Fifteen people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 2,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

  • The view of the downtown San Jose filled with a smoky haze in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

    The view of the downtown San Jose filled with a smoky haze in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

  • The view of the downtown San Jose filled with a smoky haze in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

    The view of the downtown San Jose filled with a smoky haze in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

  • A fire truck makes its way through the Chateau St. Jean winery, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, in Kenwood, Calif. Workers in Northern California's renowned wine country picked through charred debris and weighed what to do with pricey grapes after wildfires swept through lush vineyards and destroyed at least two wineries and damaged many others. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

    A fire truck makes its way through the Chateau St. Jean winery, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, in Kenwood, Calif. Workers in Northern California's renowned wine country picked through charred debris and weighed what to do with pricey grapes after wildfires swept through lush vineyards and destroyed at least two wineries and damaged many others. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

  • Palm trees stand against a smokey haze view of the Bay Area seen from the Mormon Temple in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

    Palm trees stand against a smokey haze view of the Bay Area seen from the Mormon Temple in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

  • Mark Papale walks along the street of his house which was destroyed from fires as he looks for his missing cat in Kenwood, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

    Mark Papale walks along the street of his house which was destroyed from fires as he looks for his missing cat in Kenwood, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

  • The Canyon Fire 2 threatens North Tustin homes along the 261 freeway on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    The Canyon Fire 2 threatens North Tustin homes along the 261 freeway on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Ryan Wilson, a visitor from Texas, takes a photos of the smokey haze view of the Bay Area from the Mormon Temple in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

    Ryan Wilson, a visitor from Texas, takes a photos of the smokey haze view of the Bay Area from the Mormon Temple in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

  • An orange/red sun is seen through smokey haze from the Fruitvale district in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

    An orange/red sun is seen through smokey haze from the Fruitvale district in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

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The wildfires continue to pour tons of soot and ash into the air, and winds have blown enough to move it about without sweeping it out of the area, he said. “Unfortunately, we expect to the smoke to continue impact our air quality through the week,” he said.

On Tuesday, the air district issued a smoke advisory for a second consecutive day, and called Spare the Air alerts for both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Soot readings jumped to record levels for the second straight day with hazardous air being measured in Napa and Sonoma counties, but unhealthy air also being measured in San Francisco, Oakland, San Pablo and Vallejo.

Air quality regulators recommend that schools planning sporting events like football games or parents planning outdoor events should check the air district’s web site to see if the air in their area is unhealthy or hazardous. The web site is at https://go.usa.gov/xnxhb.

The air district considers air quality with a score of 151 or more as unhealthy, 200 to 300 as very unhealthy, and more than 300 as hazardous.

On Monday morning, air quality was so smokey it reached 486 in southern Napa, 256 in San Rafael, 238 in Vallejo, 216 in San Pablo, 193 in Berkeley, 165 in Oakland, and 144 in Redwood City. Lower scores of 82 were measured in Gilroy and 73 in Livermore, according to preliminary data from the air district.

Winds diminished Monday night and Tuesday night, aiding firefighters but allowing smoke at high elevations to settle downward and foul the air at ground level.

Shifting wind velocities and directions can cause the soot concentrations to change quickly and vary from place to place, the air district said.

 

The air pollution district advises that people impacted by wildfire smoke limit their outdoor activities, stay indoors with winds and doors closed, and set air conditioning units and car vents to recirculate.

Smoke can irritate the eyes, noses and lungs, triggering wheezing in asthma and  emphysema patients. Children, the elderly and individuals with respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible to health impacts from smoke exposure.

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