It is unusually cold in the San Francisco. I was excited about cuddling up next to the fire with a blanket but poor air quality has triggered an alert to Spare the Air in Marin.  News reports indicate the alert is on until noon Thursday. What this means? No fires (not even a Duraflame) in those bay area fireplaces. The daily burn status can be found at www.sparetheair.org or by signing up for phone alerts at 1-800-430-1515. Penalties for spare the air violations can be stiff – heed the alert.