Angel Island prescribed burn redo stinks up downtown San Francisco

Two weeks after officials scrapped a prescribed burn at Angel Island over air quality concerns, a resumed burn on Wednesday is clouding up the Bay Area skyline.

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Around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, air quality sensors near downtown San Francisco listed on AirNow, the Environmental Protection Agency’s online air quality map, were reading as high as 132. A score between 101 and 150 is rated as unsafe for sensitive groups, according to the EPA. SFGATE reporters could also smell smoke from outside the newsroom’s downtown office. 

The 260-acre burn was originally scheduled for Sept. 8, but it was called off after getting through only 62 acres, according to Sean Jerry, a Cal Fire division chief. That burn painted a clear sky across the Bay Area with smoke, pushing air quality sensors to levels over 150 on the Air Quality Index in some areas, an unhealthy level for sensitive groups. 

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Prescribed burns, often referred to as “good” fire, are a preventative measure taken to rid areas of natural wildfire fuel such as dry grass and plant scraps. The Angel Island burn is expected to continue Thursday, and officials warned the public that smoke can linger for up to three days after ignition.