Wood burning ban is in place across much of Southland until Wednesday

A ban on indoor and outdoor wood burning was in effect across much of the Southland on Tuesday and will last until Wednesday due to forecasts of high levels of air pollution 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.