No Burn Order In San Clemente: Save The Yuletide Log

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — Hold onto those chestnuts, San Clemente. There will be no roasting them on an open fire through Wednesday, authorities said. The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a mandatory no-burn order through Wednesday in Orange County.

The order prohibits indoor and outdoor wood burning due to a forecast of high pollution in the area. It is not currently known whether the order will continue into the week.

The wood-burning ban will be in effect through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and the whole 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.