Southern California Air Quality Alert: Wood-Burning Ban

Updated: The South Coast AQMD has extended the mandatory wood-burning ban into Wednesday, January 17th.

Is the air quality good in Southern California?

Air quality is poor across Southern California as of Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Air quality monitoring stations measured concentrations of PM2.5 (particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns in diameter or less) ranging from “Moderate” to “Unhealthy” across most of the Los Angeles region. The high concentrations of pollutants led air quality officials to issue a wood-burning ban across the region.

What is causing poor air quality in Southern California?

Air quality in Southern California is poor due to high concentrations of dust and smoke in the region. Colder temperatures are motivating households with these amenities to light fireplaces, which is in turn increasing the amount of PM2.5 in the air.Because there is little to no wind, PM2.5 and other pollutants are not being dispersed from the area.

Are there any alerts in place?

The South Coast AQMD has issued a wood-burning ban until at least 11:59 PM Tuesday due to high concentrations of PM2.5 in the region.

The ban applies to non-desert communities in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernadino Counties. The wood-burning ban also applies to all of Orange County (1).

Exemptions to the ban are given to homes that only rely on wood for heat, low-income homes, people without natural gas, mountain communities above 3,000 feet, or the Coachella Valley.

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How can I protect myself from poor air quality?

• Get a free air quality app for real-time air quality alerts and forecasts.
• Shut doors and windows and set the HVAC to recirculate mode.
• Contribute to your community’s outdoor air quality data.
• Stay indoors when air quality is poor; if you do need to go outdoors, wear a KN95/FFP2 mask.
• Run a high-performance air purifier to filter particles, gases, and other pollutants.