Alerts are issued each year from November 1 through the last day of February. During a no-burn alert, SCAQMD requires that residents refrain from all indoor and outdoor wood burning. The wintertime program became mandatory on November 1, 2011 under the provisions of Rule 445 – Wood-Burning Devices (PDF). This program requires mandatory wood-burning restrictions when PM2.5 particle pollution levels exceed 30 micrograms per cubic meter (90 AQI) in the months of November, December, January and February. This rule only applies to residences in the South Coast Air Basin at elevations below 3000 feet. Exemptions to Rule 445 are provided for homes where wood burning is the sole source of heat or where no natural gas service is available.
For further information on Rule 445 and alternatives to wood burning, please see http://healthyhearths.org. If you want more information on the air quality forecast, or other aspects of the local air quality program, please contact your local air quality agency using the information above. For more information on the U.S. EPA’s AIRNow Program, visit http://www.airnow.gov.
