Check Before You Burn Pollution Prevention Program Begins November 1

Program aims to reduce air pollution in the cooler months ahead

DIAMOND BAR, Calif., Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Friday, November 1^st marks the start of South Coast Air Quality Management District's (South Coast AQMD) 13^th Annual Check Before You Burn season where residents are asked to check whether a No-Burn Day has been declared before burning wood in their fireplaces.

Under the Check Before You Burn program, residents are educated about the hazards of wood smoke and prohibited from burning firewood in a fireplace, stove, or outdoor fire pit for 24-hours on No-Burn Days. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2.5 is expected to reach elevated levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.

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, people who are pregnant, and those who spend a lot of time outdoors are especially vulnerable to the health effects of PM2.5. Burning wood contributes to poor indoor air quality and poor air quality in surrounding neighborhoods. Eight No-Burn Days were called last winter.

South Coast AQMD has a related program to help reduce the cost to purchase and install cleaner products (stoves, inserts, gas logs and retrofit kits). Under the Wood Stove and Fireplace Change-Out Voucher Incentive Program, residents in eligible zip codes can apply for a voucher that can be taken to a participating retailer that will discount the price to purchase and install a qualifying device. Households that meet low-income qualifications are eligible for higher incentive amounts.

South Coast AQMD is providing several resources to the public to make following No-Burn Days as convenient as possible:

• 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 at www.aqmd.gov/cbyb 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.

South Coast AQMD's No-Burn Day alerts 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 and other non-wood burning fireplaces are also exempt. 

South Coast AQMD is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley. For news, air quality alerts, event updates and more, please visit us at www.aqmd.gov, download our award-winning app, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram. 

SOURCE SOUTH COAST AQMD