The Valley Air District concluded its 2021-2022 Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program on Monday, February 28, 2022 and would like to thank Valley residents who acknowledge the health benefits of following the rule and seeking alternatives to wood burning during one of the Valley’s most challenging winters.
“The District’s primary responsibility is protecting the health of San Joaquin Valley residents. This requires strict enforcement of rules that regulate emissions from activities such as residential wood burning,” said Jaime Holt, District Chief Communications Officer.
The Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program takes place each winter from November through February to reduce the build-up of harmful PM2.5. This pollutant can adversely affect public health, aggravating heart and lung diseases like asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Per District Rule 4901: Wood Burning Fireplaces and Wood Burning Heaters, the District issues a daily wood-burning declaration and restrictions, based on the air quality forecast for each county. Regional high-pressure systems often cause pollutants to become trapped in the bowl-shaped San Joaquin Valley, creating high concentrations of PM2.5 that accumulate very quickly at ground level, resulting in poor air quality.
The District continues to urge the public to refrain from burning any solid fuel throughout the year. The San Joaquin Valley Air Basin faces unique air quality challenges and the District is continually seeking every feasible control measure to protect public health and meet strict federal air quality standards for particulate matter pollution 2.5 microns and smaller (PM2.5).
By taking advantage of the District's Burn Cleaner incentive program, residents can upgrade from an open-hearth fireplace or older wood stove to a cleaner device. The program provides up to $3,000 for cleaner devices such as electric heat pumps, natural gas inserts, or certified wood-burning devices (in certain areas). Visit www.vallaeyair.org/burncleaner for program guidelines.
*Violations of wood-burning curtailments can result in fines.
For more information on the Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program, visit: www.valleyair.org/rule4901/ or call District offices in Fresno (559-230-6000), Modesto (209-557-6400) or Bakersfield (661-392-5500).
