A variety of incidents may affect air quality, including wildfires and accidents involving hazardous materials. Residents can learn about air quality incidents through local community warning systems, Spare the Air Alerts, the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map, and local media coverage. Recently, a new notification service was added to the list.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area. In June, it launched a service that provides Bay Area residents with timely information about significant events affecting regional and local air quality. The public can sign up to receive email or text notifications about air quality incidents on the Air Quality Incident Notifications web page to learn about short- or long-term incidents that might affect their specific counties or the Bay Area as a whole.

“This new subscription service will help the Air District get the word out quickly to Bay Area residents when incidents like industrial fires, refinery flaring, wildfires, or widespread odors are affecting local or regional air quality,” according to Dr. Philip Fine, Executive Officer of the Air District. “It will augment our regional Spare the Air program by providing notice when air quality is being affected by specific events in the Bay Area, and enable the public to receive more localized messaging about air quality conditions in their community.”

These Air Quality Incident Notifications are a courtesy service the Air District is providing to help Bay Area residents track notable air quality incidents in their communities. However, the notifications should not be considered a replacement for other important sources of air quality information, officials say. Nor should they be relied on as the sole source of information about local air quality events.

In 1991, BAAQMD created the Spare the Air program to educate residents on ways to reduce air pollution as well as alert them about days when the air quality was forecast to be unhealthy. The program offers a host of information and tools to help individuals, employers, and organizations reduce air pollution in the region. Residents can sign up to get Spare the Air alerts by automated call, text, or email.

The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service-led Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As noted by federal officials, “The map provides information residents can use to help them protect their health from wildfire smoke. The map shows important information that includes current particle pollution air quality information for a specific location; fire locations and smoke plumes; Smoke Forecast Outlooks, where available; and recommendations for actions to take to protect oneself from smoke. These recommendations were developed by EPA scientists who are experts in air quality and health.”

For more information about the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, please visit www.baaqmd.gov or www.facebook.com/bayareaairdistrict. To sign up for BAAQMD Air Quality Incident Notifications, please visit www.baaqmd.gov/en/contact-us/sign-up-for-information/air-quality-incident-notifications.

To sign up for Spare the Air alerts, please visit www.sparetheair.org/en/connect-with-us/sign-up-for-alerts. For more information about the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map, please visit www.fire.airnow.gov/.