The South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended a mandatory wood-burning ban for residents in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley, through Friday, Dec. 29.

No-Burn days are declared to protect public health when levels of fine particle air pollution in the region are forecast to be high. Smoke
from wood burning can cause health problems. Breathing high levels of pollution from wood smoke can cause breathing problems (including asthma attacks), worsened lung and heart disease symptoms and may even increase emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

The No-Burn rule prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper in any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device. This prohibition does not apply to communities above 3,000 ft. in elevation, households that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, residences without nearby natural gas service and low- income households.

To view current and forecasted air quality levels, visit the South Coast Air Quality Management District website at aqmd.gov or download the mobile app at aqmd.gov/mobileapp. Additional details for this air quality alert are available at www.aqmd.gov/advisory.