November marked the beginning of South Coast AQMD’s annual Check Before You Burn season. Now through the end of February, residents are asked to check before burning wood in their fireplaces to limit emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

A No-Burn day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2.5 is expected to reach unhealthy levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.

Short-term exposure to PM2.5 can cause throat and eye irritation, aggravate asthma, and trigger other respiratory or cardiovascular health problems. Prolonged exposure to high levels of PM2.5 may increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks and cancers. Young children, older adults, people with lung or heart diseases, people who are pregnant, and those who spend a lot of time outdoors are especially vulnerable to the health effects of PM2.5. Burning wood contributes to poor indoor air quality and poor air quality in surrounding neighborhoods. Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are also exempt.

Visit South Coast AQMD’s Check Before You Burn webpage at: www.aqmd.gov/cbyb for more information and resources to make No-Burn Days as convenient as possible.

To Check Before You Burn Click Here.