No Burn Order Extended In San Clemente: Skip The Fireplace

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — We hate to put a damper on your weekend, San Clemente, but authorities placed a mandatory no-burn order Saturday in Orange County. The order, placed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, prohibits indoor and outdoor wood burning due to a forecast of high pollution in the area.

The residential wood-burning ban was extended for an eighth consecutive day, and now will be in effect at least through 11:59 p.m. Saturday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and all of Orange County.

However, the order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley or the high desert. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and households without natural gas service are also not included in the order.

The no-burn rule prohibit burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs made from wax or paper.

Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are not restricted, the SCAQMD said.

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.