Los Angeles County, including the Culver City Real Estate area, was under a No-burn order for the second day in a row.  Martin Feinberg, Realtor, notes that despite the cool winter mornings, residents of multiple California counties were prohibited from using their wood-burning fireplaces and pits both Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued the no-burn order for much of Southern California in an effort to help ease air pollution in the area.

According to their website:

“During late fall and early winter, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) asks residents to participate in its “Check Before You Burn” program by not burning wood in fireplaces when unhealthful air quality is forecast. Under the program — intended to help improve wintertime air quality –SCAQMD may issue mandatory no-burn alerts from November 1 through the end of February.

No-burn alerts are issued for 24-hour periods for residential wood-burning fireplaces, backyard fire pits and wood stoves when emissions and stagnant weather conditions raise fine particulate pollution to unhealthy levels. Alerts are typically issued for the entire South Coast Air Basin, which encompasses all of Orange County and the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.”

On Thursday December 27 a mandatory “no-burn” alert was in effect from 11:59 p.m. to the follow midnight for everyone living in Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

No-burn orders of this type do not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet or homes and low-income households that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, according to the AQMD.

Gas burning fireplaces and fire pits are permitted, as they are no different in their emissions than the natural gas furnaces in most people’s homes.   However, burning wood or manufactured logs does contribute to the concentrated air pollution.

“No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be high,” according to the AQMD. “Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems.”

Local listing agent Martin Feinberg suggests that those wanting to know more about the Check Before You Burn program should visit here.