Air quality regulators Monday extended a ban on indoor and outdoor wood burning throughout much of southern California through Tuesday due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area.
The residential wood-burning ban, which began at 12:01 a.m. Monday, will be in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. Tuesday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the non-desert portions of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, and all of Orange County.
All of California is separated into air basins, which are areas in which air pollution tends to gather due to natural barriers such as mountains and air current patterns. They are maintained by local governments or multi-county air management districts.
While San Diego comprises a separate region, it shares boundaries with the South Coast Air Basin.
The wood-burning order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley, or the high desert, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service also are exempt from the requirement.
Residents in the affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited, as is burning manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.
Fine particles in wood smoke, also known as particulate matter or PM2.5, can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as asthma.
Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text at www.AirAlerts.org.
A similar restriction goes into effect in the Bay Area on Tuesday.
City News Service contributed to this report.
