Spare the Air alert extended in Sonoma County through Friday but air quality improves Wednesday

Strong ocean winds and coastal fog are helping provide cleaner air as multiple fires burn around the region, but smoky conditions are persisting in pockets of the North Bay, prompting air quality experts to extend a Spare the Air alert.

The ban on burning will continue at least through Friday since air quality deteriorated over the course of the day Wednesday before breezy afternoon winds arrived and pushed accumulated smoke out of the area.

Tuesday and Wednesday featured some of the best air quality recorded since the LNU Lightning Complex fires ignited 10 days ago, said Aaron Richardson, spokesman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

But unhealthy air that arrived around noon Wednesday in Sonoma County pushed the air quality index scale to 151, well above the federal standard of 100 for safe air.

Wind patterns are changing so rapidly meteorologists are having difficulty forecasting more than 24 hours ahead, Richardson said. But they anticipated a low-pressure system later this week could circulate winds from the southwest, and bring smoke here from wildfires burning in the South Bay.

“As winds shift, which they tend to do this time of year, the impacts shift dramatically,” Richardson said, urging residents to remain vigilant and monitor air quality in their neighborhoods.

He anticipated air quality district officials would reconvene Thursday to decide whether to extend the Spare the Air alert beyond Friday.

You can reach Staff Writer Yousef Baig at 707-521-5390 or yousef.baig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @YousefBaig.