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NO-BURN ALERT: MANDATORY WOOD-BURNING BAN IN EFFECT FOR RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH COAST AIR BASIN TODAY MONDAY DECEMBER 8 2014

All Indoor and Outdoor Residential Wood Burning Forbidden Due to High Air Pollution Predicted for Monday, December 8 2014.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has issued a residential no-burn alert effective Monday, December 8 2014 for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire.

SCAQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces is prohibited all day today through midnight tonight.

No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health due to a high concentration of fine particle air pollution forecast for the area.

The no-burn prohibition also applies to manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.

Fine particles in wood smoke – also known as particulate matter or PM2.5 – can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory illnesses, increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

South Coast Basin residents can help reduce the harmful health effects of wood smoke by checking for no-burn alerts using one of the following options before burning wood:

Sign-up to receive e-mail alerts via http://www.AirAlerts.org

Visit http://www.aqmd.gov for daily forecasts and for an interactive no-burn alert map

Call SCAQMD’s 24-hour Check Before You Burn toll-free line at (866) 966-3293.

SCAQMD’s no-burn alerts do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, the Coachella Valley and 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. Continue reading “No Burn Alert Today For South OC Beaches : No Wood Burning Today” →