Nearly two dozen wildfires burning in Oregon are now affecting the air quality in the Bay Area, officials said Wednesday.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory on Wednesday, saying smoke from the Oregon wildfires is creating moderate air conditions in the Santa Clara Valley.
Cleaner air was expected throughout the rest of the region, the district said.
The advisory was in effect late Wednesday afternoon and early evening, according to the district. The district did not issue a Spare the Air alert.
The Oregon Wildfire Response and Recovery agency said 22 fires are burning currently in Oregon. Smoke from the Flat Fire, which is spreading quickly in southern Oregon between Gold Beach and Grants Pass, is the major contributor of smoke in the region, officials said.
Officials said it might be possible to smell smoke in the air, especially in the higher elevations of the East Bay, Santa Clara Valley and North Bay. Smoky, hazy skies were expected throughout the region until at least Thursday morning.
Officials urged people to stay inside with the windows closed if doable and to set air conditioners and car vent systems to re-circulate. That will prevent outside air from getting inside.
The air district issued two Spare the Air alerts last week during a weekend heat wave that took temperatures above 100 degrees.