Spare the Air alert no longer in effect

<p>A winter Spare the Air day prohibiting wood fires in most of Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area was lifted Thursday afternoon..</p><p>The alert was issued Tuesday because of poor air quality around the area, officials said.</p><p>New rules prohibit use of fireplaces and wood-burning stoves or pellet stoves - even those that are EPA-approved - on days on which particulate matter and other pollutants are trapped close to the earth by cold air, creating unhealthy conditions for people with asthma and other ailments.</p><p>The new regulations, adopted by the air district last July, cover most of Sonoma County except Bodega Bay, Occidental, Forestville, Cloverdale and Healdsburg, which are in the Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District.</p><p>Those in the Bay Area district caught violating the rules are subject to fines. </p><p>Residents can register for automatic e-mail or telephone alerts from the air quality district at www.sparetheair.org or by calling (800) HELP-AIR (435-7247).</p>