AUCKLAND (CBS SF) – A historic bushfire outbreak in Northern California left a massive layer of smoke over the San Francisco Bay Area, turning the sky early Wednesday into an eerie dark orange haze and covering cars, courtyards and homes in layers of ash.
To date, a series of wildfires have burned more than 2 million acres of land, including fires in the Bear and Creek area, now raging east of the San Francisco Bay Area. Smoke from the fires covered Wednesday morning with a layer of darkness.
Fire environment updates
Spare the Air’s record streak of warnings for the region came in its fourth week, and Wednesday was a record 23rd straight day.
“Abnormal Labor Day weekend heatwaves, combined with tailpipes and lingering bushfire smoke, are expected to degrade air quality in the region,” said Jack Broadbent, executive director of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Late Wednesday morning, the Air District also extended its Spare the Air warning to at least Friday, hitting a record 25 consecutive days of such warnings. The previous record was 16 days in 2018 when a fire camp broke through Butte County.
The district also urged residents to drive less and stay indoors to protect their health on days when foggy and smoky.
Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Service said there was no immediate assistance en route.
“The bad news for Wednesday is that smoke and haze will remain in the Bay Area and the Central Coast due to wildfires in California and the Pacific Northwest,” forecasters said. “Satellite imagery showed smoke dropping along the coastline.”
“Suspended smoke will descend closer to the surface and can lead to darkening of the sky and deterioration of air quality today,” – wrote NWS forecasters on Twitter. “This is outside the scope of our models, so we rely on your reports!”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has used social media to calm any concerns.
“I know people are worried about the orange sky we all woke up to this morning,” she tweeted. “The reason is a combination of fog and smoke from wildfires up and down the West Coast.”
At least one outdoor attraction, the Auckland Zoo, has announced it is closing for a day due to smoke. People with tickets must contact the zoo to re-book another day for a visit within the next 30 days, the zoo said on its Instagram account.
Social media was filled with locals who posted photos and comments about the smoky sky.
Roqo tweeted: “7:30 AM in San Francisco. It is the light and color of the sky. To be honest, I panicked a little. I thought it was 3 AM. “
