Lake Elsinore No Burn Alert: Mandatory Wood-Burning Ban Issued

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Residents in Lake Elsinore, Wildomar and across several Southland communities are barred from both indoor and outdoor burning for the next two days, air quality district officials said. According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, or SCAQMD, the "no burn alert" is in effect through midnight Friday.

The order affects those living in non-desert portions of Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County and Orange County.

"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," the agency said in an email. "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."

The rule prohibits residents from burning wood in their fireplaces, as well as manufactured fire logs made from wax or paper.

Those who live in mountain communities above 3,000 feet or who live in homes where wood-burning is the sole source of heat are excluded from the no burn order. The Coachella Valley and High Desert is also exempt, according to the SCAQMD.

— Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone