No Burn Order For Orange County: Firepit Lighting On Backburner

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A mandatory no-burn order was in place in Orange County until Tuesday, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The order prohibits indoor and outdoor wood burning Monday due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area. It was not yet known if it would continue through the week.

The residential wood-burning ban will be in effect through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino 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.