Wood-burning ban in effect Friday for much of SoCal [Video]

A ban on indoor and outdoor wood burning will be in place Friday in much of Southern California due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area.

The residential wood-burning ban will be in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. Friday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non- desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and all of Orange County.

The order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley or the high desert, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service also are exempt from the requirement.

Residents in the affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited, as is burning manufactured fire logs, …