A mandatory wood-burning ban, issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), is in effect for all residing in the South Coast Air Basin, including the Santa Clarita Valley.

The wood-burning ban is scheduled to last from Monday, Dec. 26 through Tuesday, Dec. 27. The ban is in effect for all indoor and outdoor wood-burning due to a high-air pollution prediction, according to the South Coast AQMD. 

Residents are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning devices is not allowed during the ban. In addition, the mandate prohibits burning manufactured logs made from wax or paper, as stated by the South Coast AQMD.

The regulation affects the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, including all of Orange County. 

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. In addition, homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households, and residents without natural gas service are exempt. Gas and other non-wood-burning fireplaces are not affected by the ban. 

No-burn day alerts are issued to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be high. Fine particles contained in wood smoke have the ability to reach deep within the lungs and cause respiratory issues including asthma attacks, according to officials.   

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.

Additional information is available online. For 24-hour recorded information, call (866) 966-3293. An interactive map is available here.

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