Air quality regulators issue no-burn order for Saturday in Southland

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a no-burn order, which is a mandatory prohibition on indoor and outdoor wood burning, in much of the Southland for Saturday due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area.

The residential wood-burning ban will be in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. Saturday. It affects all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the nondesert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and all of Orange County.

The order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, 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.

The no-burn rule prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper. Gas and other non-wood-burning fireplaces are not restricted, according to the SCAQMD.

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

Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text at www.AirAlerts.org.

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