Lake Elsinore Again Under 'No-Burn' Order

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A "no-burn" alert will again be in effect across much of Southern California on Wednesday, officials with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) say. This includes the non-desert portions of Riverside County.

The alert means that residents cannot legally burn wood in their fireplaces or in an outdoor wood-burning device.

"The no-burn rule prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper," the SCAQMD said.

Here's more from the agency on the alert:

No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be high. Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems. Particles in wood smoke – also known as fine particulate matter or PM2.5 – can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems (including asthma attacks), increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Residents can help reduce the harmful health effects of wood smoke by signing up to receive e-mail alerts at www.AirAlerts.org to learn when a mandatory no-burn alert is issued.

SCAQMD’s no-burn alerts do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, 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 also are exempt from the requirement. Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are not restricted.

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone