Wood burning restrictions now in effect in San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento area
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY - Starting Wednesday, San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento County residents are urged to avoid burning wood as a way to heat their homes as a way to reduce pollution.
The Valley Air District said burning wood is one of the Valley's largest sources of wintertime particulate matter 2.5 microns emissions. It says wood burning has a direct effect on neighborhood air quality.
"We're asking San Joaquin Valley residents to continue the cooperation that has had a direct, positive impact on public health," said Jaime Holt, Valley Air District Chief Communications Officer. "Choosing not to use your wood burning fireplace this winter is critical in our pollution reduction efforts and key to public health."
The Valley Air District says prolonged inhalation of wood smoke contributes to lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary heart disease, which can eventually lead to heart failure. It adds that children with the highest exposure to wood smoke show a decrease in lung function.
The yearly Residential Wood Smoke Reduction program starts Wednesday, Nov. 1, and will run through the end of February. The declarations apply to all indoor and outdoor residential devices that burn solid fuel, such as wood, pellets and manufactured wood.
Are there exemptions?
The district says homes with no natural gas or homes where wood burning is the only source of heat are exempt. It says restrictions do not apply to natural gas devices, but areas where propane tanks are used are considered to be without natural gas services.
Any outdoor wood-burning devices, like firepits and chimineas, cannot be registered and must follow daily restrictions, regardless of exemption status.
Anyone who has an EPA-certified wood and pellet-fueled device can register it with the Valley Air District to use the device on "No burning unless registered" days. To learn which device you have, click here.
To register a device with the Valley Area District, residents can click here. The register a device with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, click here.
The Valley Air District says residents can receive as much as $5,000 to upgrade their older, higher-polluting wood stoves and open-hearth fireplaces. For more information on the grants, click here.
Check burn status
Throughout the program, the district will release a wood-burning status for each county every day. This is based on the air quality forecast.
The current burn status for San Joaquin County, Stanislaus County, Merced County, Madera County, Fresno County, Kings County, Tulare County, two portions of Kern County, Sequoia National Park and Sequoia National Forest, click here.
To check the burn status in the Sacramento area, including Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova, and Sacramento, click here.
