November 1st marks the start of South Coast AQMD’s 13th Annual Check Before You Burn season when residents are asked to check whether a No-Burn Day has been declared before burning wood in their fireplaces.

A No-Burn Day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves, or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is expected to reach elevated levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions. High PM2.5 episodes are most common on calm and cool winter days. Additional pollution from wood burning is more likely to create unhealthy air quality conditions on No-Burn Days.

No-Burn Days do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, the Coachella Valley or High Desert, homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households, and those without natural gas service. Gas fireplaces are also exempt.

South Coast AQMD has several convenient ways to be alerted to No-Burn Days:

• E-Mail Notifications: Sign up to receive Air Alerts on air quality and be notified when a mandatory No-Burn Day has been issued for your neighborhood.

• Check Before You Burn Map: Visit the Check Before You Burn map on our website for daily forecast information.

• Toll-Free Phone Number: Call 866-966-3293 for daily Check Before You Burn information.

• Web Resources: Visit South Coast AQMD’s Check Before You Burn Program webpage for more information.

• Mobile App: Download the South Coast AQMD app to check local air quality.

• Social Media: Follow South Coast AQMD’s social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram.

Short-term exposure to PM2.5 can cause throat and eye irritation, aggravate asthma, and trigger other respiratory or cardiovascular health problems. Prolonged exposure to high levels of PM2.5 may increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks and cancers. Young children, older adults, people with lung or heart diseases, and those who spend a lot of time outdoors are especially vulnerable to the health effects of PM2.5. Burning wood negatively impacts air quality both indoors and in nearby neighborhoods.

For more information, visit: www.aqmd.gov/cbyb.