November 1st marks the start of the 12th Annual Check Before You Burn season, South Coast AQMD’s fall and winter program to educate residents about the hazards of wood smoke. The program prohibits burning firewood in a fireplace, stove, or outdoor pit on No-Burn Days, when unhealthy air quality is forecast. From November through the end of February, residents are asked to check before burning wood in their fireplaces to limit emissions of fine particle pollution (PM2.5).

In 2022, South Coast AQMD declared 10 No-Burn days across the South Coast Air Basin, which was a significant decrease from the 35 No-Burn days in 2021. 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. High PM2.5 episodes are most common on calm and cool winter days, especially during holiday periods. Additional pollution from wood burning is more likely to create unhealthy air quality conditions on No-Burn Days.

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, pregnant people, and people with lung or heart diseases are especially vulnerable to the health effects of PM2.5. Burning wood contributes to poor indoor air quality and poor air quality in the surrounding neighborhood.

For more information visit our Check Before You Burn Program webpages. Residents can sign up for email or text notifications of No-Burn Days at www.AirAlerts.org.