Save those matches and leave the wood pile as it is.
Another wood burning ban has been issued for the Bay Area today.
For the fifth time this month, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare The Air order.
It's in effect all day and all night Thursday.
Aaron Richardson, a spokesman for the BAAQMD, said there's a possibility more Spare the Air alerts could be issued in the coming days.
He said the weather forecast calls for continued cold weather with light winds and no rain. That kind of weather tends to trap particulates in the air and prompt the wood-burning bans.
The alerts prohibit the burning of wood, firelogs, pellets or other solid fuels in a fireplace or other wood-burning device. Residents whose only source of heat is wood burning are exempt from the prohibition.
First-time violators are given the option of taking an online wood smoke class or paying a $100 fine. Second-time violators are fined $500. The fines continue to increase with each violation.
