The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has one, simple request for Thanksgiving celebrators across the region: Don't burn wood.
While the activity is allowed, the agency said it "strongly discouraged" Bay Area residents from burning wood over the holiday weekend.
Bay Area air quality is moderate on Thanksgiving Day, but "extensive wood burning over the holiday could cause air quality to become unhealthy."
The agency has not issued a Spare the Air Alert.
"We are asking Bay Area residents to help keep air pollution low this Thanksgiving by not burning wood indoors or outdoors," Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Air District, said in a statement. "If we refrain from having a fire this Thanksgiving, we can all enjoy a healthier, happier holiday weekend."
According to the district, wood smoke contains particles and substances that make the air harmful to breathe. The smoke is a "major source of air pollution in the Bay Area in the wintertime and is especially harmful to children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions."
The agency noted that wood smoke from the 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves in the Bay Area is the single largest source of air pollution, as one fire place can pollute an entire neighborhood.
