Poor Air Quality In Newport Beach, No Burn Order In Effect Tuesday

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A mandatory wood-burning ban is in effect for all of Orange County through Tuesday, after high levels of air pollution were forecasted across the South Coast Air Basin, officials said.

The No-Burn Order started Sunday and was extended by the South Coast Air Quality Management District into Tuesday. No-Burn days are meant to protect the public health when levels of air pollution in the region are expected to be high.

The wood-burning ban forbids burning wood, as well as manufactured fire logs, in any indoor or outdoor setting. The ban does not apply to communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, households that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, homes without nearby natural gas service and low income households.

"Breathing high levels of pollution from wood smoke can cause breathing problems, including asthma attacks," South Coast AQMD officials said in a statement. "It can also cause worsened lung and heart disease symptoms, and may even increase emergency room visits and hospitalizations."

Residents can sign up for air alerts by visiting South Coast AQMD's website.