Air Quality Alert Extended In Wildomar, Inland Empire: AQMD

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Put that firewood away and leave the wood-burning firepits unlit until further notice. Air quality regulators have issued a ban on indoor and outdoor burning of wood in Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, and across the Inland Empire through Wednesday due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area.

The residential wood-burning ban, which began at 12:01 a.m. Monday will be in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. Wednesday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non-desert portions of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles 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, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. 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.

Residents in the affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited, as is burning 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 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.