SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—Smoke released into the air from wildfires that still rage in Northern California made the sun appear pink as it rose in the morning and also caused health concerns that the haze made of soot particles will blanket San Francisco and the Bay Area again on Friday.
For a second day in a row, air quality authorities and forecasters issued a health advisory to San Francisco and Bay Area residents to keep their windows shut due to unhealthy air quality caused by the wilderness fires which have consumed thousands of square miles of vegetation in the past few weeks.
More than 840 wildfires erupted last week, ignited by a severe lightning storm. Since last week, wildfires blackened more than 200 square miles of land mostly in Northern California, consumed structures, harmed livestock, and injured firefighters.
West coastal winds are expected to materialize along the coast and disperse the haze and relieve residents who live at sea level of some of the smoke, but smoke levels are not expected to improve in some of the inland areas, according meteorologists.
"For the next few days, we are expecting air quality in the Bay Area to continue to be impacted by the Northern California wildfires," said Air District Communications Director Lisa Fasano. "We will continue to issue air quality forecasts and advise the public to take appropriate precautions."
One school district ordered all summer school sites to reduce the level of outdoors physical activities for students. School district authorities feared that the poor air quality might trigger allergies, aggravate asthma and cause other harmful lung conditions.
The district has received complaints from students suffering burning eyes, wheezing, coughing, and problems with asthma since the fires began. Residents in the area are warned to avoid exposure to the smoky air, especially those more sensitive such as children and older adults.
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