Bay Area air regulators have lowered the threshold for declaring Spare the Air alerts that ban residents from using their wood-burning fireplaces or outdoor fire pits.

In a press release on Wednesday, the Bay Area Air District said its board of directors approved lowering the threshold of fine particulate matter in daily forecasts that trigger the alerts from 35 to 25 micrograms per cubic meter. The stricter standard means Spare the Air Alerts, which average about 15 a year, will be issued more frequently, to an estimated 19 to 41 alerts per year, the Air District said.

During a Spare the Air Alert, it is illegal for residents and businesses to use their fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or other wood-burning devices, although exemptions are available for homes wh

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