Smoke from a fast-growing wildfire in Monterey County is drifting into the Bay Area, prompting the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue an advisory covering Burlingame and Hillsborough through Wednesday, Aug. 12.

The district warned on X that smoke from the Timber Fire is expected to affect air quality in the South Bay and East Bay on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and Wednesday, Aug. 12, urging residents to check conditions at fire.airnow.gov and take steps to avoid exposure.

The district's Instagram post warned that smoky, hazy skies may be visible, the smell of smoke is possible and air quality may become unhealthy at times during the advisory period. Residents who spend time outdoors may notice haze or a burning smell.

The district advises keeping windows closed and setting vehicle ventilation to recirculate air.

The Timber Fire

The Timber Fire ignited around 9:40 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, in the Los Padres National Forest southeast of Loma Vista in Monterey County. By Tuesday morning it had grown to 2,000 acres with just 5% containment, according to CAL FIRE's incident update reported by KSBW.

The fire threatens 259 structures in the Big Sur area. A total of 480 personnel, 36 engines, 13 hand crews and eight helicopters are assigned to the blaze.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Josh Silveira told the Mercury News the fire is burning above the marine layer in steep, rugged terrain that has hampered access. "The chess game is, where do we engage the fire…to corral this thing out ahead of it to prevent it from impacting other communities," Silveira said.

What it means for Burlingame On The Avenue

The advisory is expected to clear before Burlingame On The Avenue, the two-day street festival scheduled for Saturday and Saturday, Aug. 15–16, on Burlingame Avenue. Last year's event drew roughly 65,000 attendees over two days, according to the event's sponsorship page. The SFO/Burlingame Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the 32nd-annual festival, has not issued a statement about the smoke.

This is a separate event from the Woodside Fire smoke alert that affected the area Aug. 1 and was subsequently lifted.

How to protect yourself

  • Keep windows and doors closed during the advisory period.
  • Set vehicle ventilation to recirculate.
  • Check current air quality at fire.airnow.gov.
  • Limit strenuous outdoor activity if you smell smoke or see haze.