“Check Before You Burn” – smog check near me

No-Burn Alerts Issued When Fine Particle Air Pollution is Forecast to be High; Prohibits Wood Burning for 24 Hours

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) today announced the launch of its annual “Check Before You Burn” program, designed to protect public health by reducing harmful wood smoke during winter months. Under the program, mandatory no-burn alerts will be issued for Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties when fine particle air pollution levels are forecast to be high. Similar programs exist throughout much of California and in many other areas of the nation. This is what makes finding a smog check near me so important.

During a no-burn day, residents in affected areas are not allowed to burn wood – both indoors and outdoors. The no-burn prohibition also applies to manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.

“While fine particle pollution levels in Southern California have been decreasing, it is still linked to more than 4,000 deaths in the Los Angeles Basin each year,” said Barry R. Wallerstein, Executive Officer, SCAQMD. “Everyone can play an important role in the quality of air our families breathe by signing up to receive no-burn alerts.”

I always look for a smog check near me, in order to help lessen the air polution.

Wood smoke is a complex mixture of gases and microscopic fine particles – also known as particulate matter or PM2.5 – so small they can get deep into the lungs, causing serious health problems. Wood smoke is also known to contain many of the same carcinogens as second-hand cigarette smoke. Fine particle air pollution is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, asthma attacks and potential low birth weights in newborns. Populations at greatest risk from the effects of wood smoke include the elderly, children, people with heart and lung disease and pregnant women.

No-burn alerts are issued one day in advance and last for 24 hours. Residents can sign-up to receive e-mail alerts at www.AirAlerts.org to learn when a mandatory no-burn alert has been issued.

Residents can also protect themselves and their families from the harmful health effects of wood smoke by upgrading their fireplaces to a cleaner alternative. Natural-gas log sets are up to 99 percent cleaner than burning firewood and are exempt from no-burn alerts.

SCAQMD’s no-burn alerts do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet in elevation, and the Coachella Valley. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service are also exempt.

The Check Before You Burn program is in effect November through the end of February, when particulate levels are highest.