No Burn Order Issued For Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Anticipated air pollution throughout Riverside County prompted officials to issue a wood-burning ban for Thursday.

The ban will take effect tonight extend at least 11:59 p.m. Thursday for those in the South Coast Air Basin — including the non-desert areas of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Large swaths of Orange and Los Angeles counties will also be under the order.

The residential wood-burning ban excludes the Coachella Valley, the high desert area and communities above 3,000 feet, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said.

South Coast AQMD said that burning wood in fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited at any time during the wood-burning ban. The rule also prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.

Burning wood in areas affected by poor air quality raises health risks for residents as fine particles in wood smoke — also known as PM2.5 — can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory issues such as asthma. This week's order was extended to protect air quality as PM2.5 levels rose above the predicted level.

However, homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service are exempt from the requirement.

Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for alerts through email or text at www.AirAlerts.org.