Wood burning ban in place across much of Southland until Wednesday | News

LOS ANGELES – A ban on indoor and outdoor wood burning went into effect across much of the Southland Tuesday and will continue through Wednesday as high levels of air pollution were forecast in the region.

The ban on residential wood burning applies to all residents of the South Coast Air Basin, including non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and all of Orange County, until at least 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley or the High Desert. Households that rely on wood as their sole source of heat, households with low incomes and households without a natural gas supply are also exempt from the requirement.

Residents in affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or other indoor or outdoor wood-burning devices, as well as burning man-made firewood logs, such as those made of wax or paper, is prohibited.

Fine particles in wood smoke, also known as particulate matter or PM2.5, can reach deep into the lungs and cause respiratory diseases such as asthma.

Residents can receive burn-free day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text message at www.AirAlerts.org.