A residential No Burn Day was issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District Saturday for the areas in the South Coast Air Basin including Riverside County.
The No Burn ban includes burning wood in fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device including manufactured fire logs form wax or paper. The ban is effective through Saturday evening.
“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,” the SCAQMD announced.
“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.”
South Coast AQMD’s Check Before You Burn program is in effect from November through the end of February, when particulate levels are highest.
Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service are exempt from the requirement. Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are not restricted, according to the AQMD.
More information was available at www.aqmd.gov/home/air-quality/air-alerts.