Wood burning restrictions enforced in California

Restrictions on the burning of wood in the state of California have been implemented as authorities try to keep a hold over air quality in the area.

In the Bay Area, residents were told not to light log fires, wood or pellet stoves or fire pits by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

The ban was established in the autumn and is expected to be exercised again in February 2009 as the winter comes to an end.

So far, just 11 people have been found violating the regulations and if caught repeating the offence, could be fined up to $2,000 (£1,296).

Burning logs, which releases wood smoke particles, is attributed much of the air pollution in the region and aggravates conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and can even cause lung disease, it is believed.

In similar pollution news, recent figures from the Metropolitan Air Quality Management Office of the Environment Ministry found that the quality of the air in South Korea's capital city Seoul was worse in 2007 than in 2005, reported english.chosun.com.