YAKIMA -- A light rain overnight didn’t help much to improve air quality in Yakima County.

The Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency has extended through Wednesday a countywide ban on all outdoor burning and the use of most home wood-based heating devices.

A stable air mass and a lack of wind have allowed pollution levels to rise.

Young children and the elderly who are most susceptible to breathing problems should take precautions such as limiting outdoor activities, the authority said.

The Stage 2 ban now in effect prohibits all outdoor burning and the use of even certified home-heating appliances. Wood stoves or fireplaces that constitute a home’s sole source of heat are exempt.

-- David Lester