Residents in Los Angeles are looking at a mixed bag of weather ahead, with cloud cover and a solid chance of rain as the New Year approaches. According to the National Weather Service, today's high will be a mostly cloudy 68 degrees, leading into a generally sunny Thursday. The forecast suggests that rain is likely to start early Friday morning with an 80% chance of precipitation into Saturday.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has extended a mandatory wood-burning ban until midnight Wednesday night, to quickly reduce air pollution. The ban, which has been a response to forecast high levels of fine particle air pollution, forbids the burning of wood as well as manufactured fire logs, "such as those made from wax or paper in any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device," stated the weather advisory.
The health implications behind the no-burn order are significant. Breathing in smoke from wood fires could lead to a range of breathing problems, potentially worsening lung and heart disease symptoms, according to health officials. The advisory also cites possible increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to the effects of wood smoke pollution.
Certain exceptions to the ban are in place. It does not apply to communities above 3,000 ft in elevation, households that absolutely rely on wood as a sole source of heat, residences without nearby natural gas service, and low-income households. Angelenos keen on staying informed about air quality can visit AQMD's website or to quickly access information on the go, download their mobile app.
