The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Winter Spare the Air alert for Friday, prohibiting the use of wood-burning devices.

It is the third consecutive day such an alert has been issued. Today is also a Spare the Air day.

A Winter Spare the Air alert means it is illegal for Bay Area residents to burn wood or other solid fuels in fireplaces, wood stoves, fire pits or elsewhere.

Anyone who violates the ban will be given the option to take a wood smoke awareness class instead of paying a fine, for the first offense. A
second violation would result in a $500 ticket.

The Winter Spare the Air season runs from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28.

More information is available at [http;//www.sparetheair.org www.sparetheair.org or at the toll-free hotline at (877) 4-NO-BURN.

— Bay City News Service

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