No-Burn Day Alert Extended Mandatory Wood-Burning Ban In Effect For Residents Of The South Coast Air Basin

All Indoor and Outdoor Residential Wood Burning Prohibited Due to High Air Pollution Predicted for Monday, December 19 Through Tuesday, December 20, 2022

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) has extended a residential No-Burn day alert from Monday, December 19 through Tuesday, December 20, 2022 for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and all of Orange County. South Coast AQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited during the mandatory wood-burning ban. The No-Burn rule prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.

Do your part to help keep our air clean by not burning wood during the mandatory wood burning ban. No-Burn day alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be high. Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems. Particles in wood smoke – also known as fine particulate matter or PM2.5 – can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems (including asthma attacks), increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Residents can help reduce the harmful health effects of wood smoke by signing up to receive e-mail alerts at http://www.AirAlerts.org to learn when a mandatory No-Burn day alert is issued.

 South Coast AQMD’s No-Burn day alerts do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, 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. Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are not restricted.

 South Coast AQMD’s Check Before You Burn program is in effect from November through the end of February, when particulate levels are highest. Three No-Burn day alerts have been issued for the 2022-2023 season. Additional information is available at http://www.AirAlerts.org. For 24-hour recorded information, call (866) 966-3293. An interactive map is available at www.aqmd.gov/CheckBeforeYouBurnMap.

South Coast AQMD is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley. For news, air quality alerts, event updates and more, please visit us at www.aqmd.gov, download our award-winning app, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.