Spare the Air Alert issued for Monday

Commuters drive westbound on Interstate 80 towards the MacArthur Maze and the Bay Bridge in Berkeley, Calif. on Wednesday, July 11, 2012. A spare the air alert is set for Monday. Commuters drive westbound on Interstate 80 towards the MacArthur Maze and the Bay Bridge in Berkeley, Calif. on Wednesday, July 11, 2012. A spare the air alert is set for Monday. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Spare the Air Alert issued for Monday 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Bay Area air quality regulators issued a Spare the Air Alert for Monday, banning wood fires for the day in anticipation of stagnant weather and the potential for heavy smoke pollution.

Residents of the nine counties around the bay face a possible $100 fine for using a fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove, outdoor fire pit or any other fixture that burns wood or manufactured logs. Exemptions are made for those who rely solely on such devices for heat.

Monday’s Spare the Air Alert marks the sixth day of air regulations this winter. On cool, still days, smoke tends to collect in the air, where its fine particles and carcinogenic substances can become harmful to breathe.

The 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves in the Bay Area are the single-largest pollution source in the wintertime, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

For complete details on the district’s regulations, call (877) 466-2876 or visit www.baaqmd.gov.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander