The Wine Country wildfires have created the dirtiest air ever seen in the Bay Area, regulators said Tuesday, as they intensified health warnings about the smoke.

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Soot readings in many areas have reached levels considered very unhealthy or hazardous, air quality regulators said.

And the smoke may linger for days, underscoring the need for people to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid strenuous exercise in smoky areas, air regulators cautioned.

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The wildfires continue to pour tons of soot and ash into the air, and winds have blown enough to move it about without sweeping it out of the area, he said. “Unfortunately, we expect to the smoke to continue impact our air quality through the week,” he said.

On Tuesday, the air district issued a smoke advisory for a second consecutive day, and called Spare the Air alerts for both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Soot readings jumped to record levels for the second straight day with hazardous air being measured in Napa and Sonoma counties, but unhealthy air also being measured in San Francisco, Oakland, San Pablo and Vallejo.

Air quality regulators recommend that schools planning sporting events like football games or parents planning outdoor events should check the air district’s web site to see if the air in their area is unhealthy or hazardous. The web site is at https://go.usa.gov/xnxhb.

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The air district considers air quality with a score of 151 or more as unhealthy, 200 to 300 as very unhealthy, and more than 300 as hazardous.

On Monday morning, air quality was so smokey it reached 486 in southern Napa, 256 in San Rafael, 238 in Vallejo, 216 in San Pablo, 193 in Berkeley, 165 in Oakland, and 144 in Redwood City. Lower scores of 82 were measured in Gilroy and 73 in Livermore, according to preliminary data from the air district.

Winds diminished Monday night and Tuesday night, aiding firefighters but allowing smoke at high elevations to settle downward and foul the air at ground level.

Shifting wind velocities and directions can cause the soot concentrations to change quickly and vary from place to place, the air district said.

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The air pollution district advises that people impacted by wildfire smoke limit their outdoor activities, stay indoors with winds and doors closed, and set air conditioning units and car vents to recirculate.

Smoke can irritate the eyes, noses and lungs, triggering wheezing in asthma and emphysema patients. Children, the elderly and individuals with respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible to health impacts from smoke exposure.