1st ‘Spare the Air’ day of year called as smoke drifts over Sacramento region
With smoke drifting over the Sacramento region from wildfires in the north state, air quality officials are urging capital residents to minimize pollution Friday, the summer’s first “Spare the Air” day.
Officials said the air quality index was expected to reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups, like the elderly or those with asthma.
Among the recommendations provided by the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District campaign were for residents to drive less and limit their time outdoors, especially in the middle of the day. Officials have also advised residents to use public transit and to wait to refuel their cars at night.
“Did you know that putting gasoline in your car releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?” the campaign’s website says, explaining that the compounds can contribute to “ground-level ozone pollution” in the daytime heat.
The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office warned Thursday morning on X that smoke from wildfires farther north in California might bring a haze to the sky in the capital region.
The Green Fire, which sparked on July 1, had burned through 5,037 acres in Shasta County as of Thursday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. The Orleans Complex had already charred 3,728 acres in Del Norte and Siskiyou counties since starting Wednesday, the agency’s website shows.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 3:25 PM.
