Prompted by stubbornly stagnant air and high levels of fine-particle air pollution, the Southwest Clean Air Agency today announced a county-wide burn ban, effective immediately.
The Stage 2 ban means all wood heating is prohibited, including fireplaces and wood stoves. Outdoor burning is also prohibited.
Residents that use wood burning as their only source of heat are exempt from the ban, however, but should do so as cleanly as possible, according to the clean air agency.
A persistent weather pattern has brought the region cold weather and poor ventilation, officials said. The burn ban is expected to remain in place until noon Sunday, when a change in the weather should bring better conditions, according to the clean air agency.
