Poor Air Quality Prompts Another Wood-Burning Ban In Dana Point

DANA POINT, CA — Reschedule the bonfire and put away the fireworks, Laguna Beach. A ban on indoor and outdoor wood burning was issued this week for much of Southern California due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area.

The wood-burning ban will be in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. Tuesday for the South Coast Air Basin, including 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.