No Burn Order Extended Ahead Of Lake Elsinore Area Storm

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a mandatory prohibition on indoor and outdoor wood burning in Lake Elsinore and much of the Southland through Tuesday due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area.

The residential wood-burning ban will be in effect until at least midnight. It affects all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non-desert portions of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, and all of Orange County.

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 also are exempt from the requirement.

The no-burn rule prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper. Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are not restricted, the SCAQMD said.

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.

The No Burn Order came ahead of a cold front that would descend into the region.

In Temecula, the forecast calls for clouds with a slight chance of showers. Highs would range from 66 to 71 in the valleys and Inland Empire, according to the National Weather Service. In the mountains, it'll be cold and windy with highs from 59 to 66. In the Coachella Valley, it'll be mostly cloudy and breezy with highs from 71 to 75 degrees.

Residents can expect colder temperatures and rain in the forecast through New Year's Day.