Cleaner Burning

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA — The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) announced today the top five tips for cleaner fireplace burning for improved safety and cleaner air. “Smoke is harmful for our lungs. When people burn trash, or make large smoky fires, they’re potentially creating a nuisance for their neighbors, and may even be affecting people’s health,” said APCD Director Terry Dressler.

Smoke is especially harmful for adults and children with asthma or other respiratory diseases, or heart problems. Dressler noted, “At this time of year when more people are using fireplaces and woodstoves, it’s especially important to be a good neighbor. We need to follow safety rules, and remember that we all breathe this air, so we all need to keep it clean.” The APCD’s top five tips for cleaner fireplace burning are as follows.

1. Clean your chimney. A dirty chimney full of creosote is a chimney fire waiting to happen. Schedule regular maintenance by a professional chimney sweep.

2. Don’t burn trash. Burning trash can cause toxic chemicals to go into the air, and into your lungs. Don’t burn any of these: plastics, chemicals, wrapping paper, magazines, or any coated papers (including newspaper inserts, junk mail, etc.).

3. Be a good neighbor and notice your smoke. Burn dry, seasoned wood, and build small hot fires rather than large smoldering ones. Burn safely in your fireplace. Keep your fireplace screen closed to keep sparks from landing on the carpeting, and have a spark arrester on top of your chimney to keep sparks from landing on the roof and causing a roof or attic fire.

4. Save your fireplace or woodstove for special occasions. Fireplace fires are not a very efficient way to produce heat. The safest way to heat your home, and the cleanest for the air, is through a central heating system.

5. Use a gas log if you can, and NEVER burn wood in a fireplace that was designed for a gas log. Decorative fireplaces are not built to handle wood fires. Burning wood in one of these fireplaces is asking for trouble, and could create a dangerous situation.

For more information, see this page.

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