Giving thanks as rainstorm clearing away haze in Bay Area

The first significant rainfall of the season helped clear the smoky skies in Oakland, California on Nov. 21, 2018. The first significant rainfall of the season helped clear the smoky skies in Oakland, California on Nov. 21, 2018. Photo: SFGate / Douglas Zimmerman Photo: SFGate / Douglas Zimmerman Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Giving thanks as rainstorm clearing away haze in Bay Area 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

The Bay Area’s smoky air finally started to dissipate Wednesday as wind and rain swept through the region, bringing much needed relief to residents who’ve spent the better part of two weeks in face masks to shield themselves from pollution cast out by the deadly Camp Fire.

Throughout the day, rainfall pounded the pavement in San Francisco and surrounding cities, but the wet weather didn’t keep people indoors.

Andrew Kimiora, 18, stood outside the Westfield Mall near Fifth and Market streets and was happy to breathe mask-free as he watched the downpour. He lives in the Bayview-Hunters Point and said he felt like the smoke had hit that community hard.

“We could barely see,” Kimiora said, comparing the smoke to fog.

But on Wednesday, he said, the air “started to smell like it usually smells in the Bayview.”

That smell is nature, he said, laughing.

“I feel happy now. I don’t have to walk out and feel concerned about my health for just walking the streets,” Kimiora said.

The storm, which is expected to bring light to moderate rainfall to the region, is a precursor to a series of storms that will last into early December, said Rick Canepa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“There will be some breaks at times,” he said. “We are still mostly looking at a bunch of systems coming through, which is excellent news.”

The last time the Bay Area had any rain was in early October, he added.

Some parts of the Bay Area, particularly in the east and south, haven’t received more than .10 inches since April.

By Wednesday afternoon, San Francisco had received .54 inches, while the most rain was reported in the North Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

Anthony January Jr. was on break from his job in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood as he stood outside, protected by part of a building from the showers.

“With everything going on with all the fires in Northern California and Southern California, it’s just nice to have some fresh air again,” the Oakland resident said. “It just feels like we’ve been dry for a long time.”

Nearby, Suzanne Mom’s hands were full with shopping bags and her head was covered with a pink scarf as she prepared to go out into the rain.

Mom works as a flight attendant for airline KLM and flew in Tuesday from the Netherlands. The first thing she noticed when her flight landed in San Francisco was the smoky haze from the Camp Fire.

Mom is only in town until Thursday, so when she saw the smoke had lifted she grabbed her scarf and headed outside to shop.

“The dust is away,” Mom said, looking out at Market Street.

Over the past week, fine particles in the air from the Camp Fire in Butte County have kept the region under a red alert, which rates air quality as “unhealthy.”

But on Wednesday, San Francisco and Oakland’s air quality had been upgraded to “good,” while other areas, including Vacaville and Fairfield, were still rated as “unhealthy” or likely to affect “unusually sensitive groups,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index.

The area of the Camp Fire was downgraded to moderate air quality due to the heavy rainfall, according to the EPA.

Paradise — the town hit hardest by the blaze, which has killed at least 81 people, burned 153,336 acres and is 80 percent contained — can expect up to 6 inches of rain this week, according to the National Weather Service. The last time the town saw any precipitation was April 7, when it received 5.75 inches of rain.

Heavier rain was expected in the afternoon and strong winds are anticipated Thursday, which could cause weakened trees and tree branches to fall in the burn scar areas, according to the National Weather Service.

A new storm system will move into the region Thursday and again Tuesday, Canepa said.

“The vegetation is so parched and the ground is so parched, it will act like a sponge and just take it all in,” he said.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani