The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a mandatory No-Burn Alert for Wednesday.
The Alert, which begins at midnight Wednesday, will last until midnight January 14. Residents of the non-desert portions of Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties are being asked to refrain from using indoor and outdoor wood burning devices due to predicted high air pollution, SCAQMD officials said.
The No-Burn Alert also applies to manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.
Particulates generated by wood burning devices can settle deep in the lungs, causing respiratory illnesses and hospitalization, the SCAQMD said.
No-Burn Alerts do not apply to mountain communities above the 3,000 foot elevation, the Coachella Valley, or the High Desert. Homes that use wood as a sole source of heat, including 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.
