Wood Burning Prohibited in Lake Elsinore, Wildomar on Thursday

Much of the Southland will be under a “no-burn” order Thursday, meaning indoor fireplace use and outdoor wood burning will be prohibited due to pollution concerns.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued the order for all residences in the South Coast Air Basin, including the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire.

The order excludes the Coachella Valley, residences above 3,000 feet in elevation, and homes where there is no other source of heat.

Fine particles in wood smoke can penetrate deep into lungs, causing problems for people with asthma or other respiratory disorders.

Here’s the full alert from the SCAQMD:

All Indoor and Outdoor Residential Wood Burning Prohibited Due to High Air Pollution Predicted for Tomorrow, Thursday, February 26

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has issued a residential no-burn alert effective Thursday, February 26, 2015, for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire. SCAQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces is prohibited from midnight tonight through midnight on Thursday night. No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health due to a high concentration of fine particle air pollution forecast for the area. The no-burn prohibition also applies to 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 illnesses, increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

South Coast Basin residents can help reduce the harmful health effects of wood smoke by checking for no-burn alerts using one of the following options before burning wood:

• Sign-up to receive e-mail alerts via www.AirAlerts.org
• Visit www.aqmd.gov or www.aqmd.gov/healthyhearths/chk-before-you-burn
  for daily forecasts and for an interactive no-burn alert map
• Call SCAQMD’s 24-hour Check Before You Burn toll-free line at (866) 966-3293.

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.

SCAQMD’s ‘Check Before You Burn’ program starts each year on November 1 and runs through the last day of February. Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are not restricted. For further information on the ‘Check Before You Burn’ program and alternatives to wood burning, including the gas fireplace incentive program, visit www.healthyhearths.org.

SCAQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

(Image via Shutterstock)