Due to poor air quality, large parts of Southern California are under a burning ban

Wood burning has been banned in much of Southern California because the air there remains poor.

The ban went into effect Wednesday and will last until at least 11:59 p.m. Thursday evening, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

All people living in Orange County and the South Coast Air Basin, including non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, are affected by the ban burning.

However, the order does not apply to people living in mountain communities at elevations above 3,000 feet, in the Coachella Valley and in the High Desert. Excluded are homeowners who rely on wood as their sole source of heat, low-income households and people who do not have a natural gas connection.

Burning wood indoors and outdoors as well as burning logs is prohibited.

SCAQMD officials say fine particles in wood smoke, also known as PM2.5 or particulate matter, can enter people’s lungs and cause breathing problems.