Health officials in Phoenix, Arizona have asked residents to not use wood-burning fireplaces through December 25th in order to prevent dangerous levels of air pollution.

According to AZcentral.com, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality issued the “No burn” advisory for Dec 22 through Dec 25 Saturday due to high levels of PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter found in smoke, soot and other sources), which can trigger lung conditions in asthma patients and others.

At the same time halfway around the globe, citizens of New Delhi, India are dealing with the city’s worst air pollution levels of the year, as the air quality index hit an average of 449 on Monday and 450 on Sunday. Anything above 100 is considered unhealthy, according to an article on NDTV.com.

The air pollution levels have been rated as “severe” and “emergency” due to toxic smog trapped over the city due to unusually cold air, including fog, and a lack of wind.

Read more at www.azcentral.com and www.ndtv.com