Residents of the San Joaquin Valley are being asked to pay close attention to residential wood-burning rules as the Valley experiences some of the worst wintertime air quality on record.

The La Niña weather pattern has caused extremely dry, stagnant conditions throughout the state. These conditions have caused the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to declare a record number of residential wood-burning prohibitions Valley-wide since the beginning of December.

Although the air District's Check Before You Burn Program has proven to be enormously successful at reducing the Valley's wintertime particulate problem and the past two wood-burning seasons have

been the cleanest on record, meteorology has caused an upset for the 2011-12 season, resulting in historically poor air quality in the San Joaquin Valley.

Air District Executive Director Seyed Sadredin said that when conditions are this bad, there is not a lot that can be done to improve the situation, but that residents should do everything possible not

to make it worse.

Residents can always find the latest wood burning declaration and air quality forecast by visiting the District's website at www.valleyair.org or calling 1-800-766-4463 (1-800-SMOG-INFO).

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