A ban on indoor and outdoor wood burning will be in effect Monday in much of southern California due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area, air quality regulators said — although San Diego County will not be affected.
The residential wood-burning ban will last until at least 11:59 p.m. Monday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and all of Orange County.
Residents in the affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any other indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited, as is burning manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.
The order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley, or the high desert. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service are also exempt from the requirement.
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.
City News Service contributed to this report.
