Residents asked not to use fireplaces

By Reporter Staff

Regional air quality management districts have issued warnings about wood burning yet again today.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (which includes Vallejo, Benicia and Fairifled) has issued a Winter Spare the Air notification, which it does when particulate matter levels are anticipated to be unhealthy.

On these high pollution days, the air district prohibits wood burning throughout its boundaries and those found in violation can and will be ticketed and face fines.

Under the Air District’s wood-burning regulation, when a Winter Spare the Air Alert has been called, burning wood, firelogs, pellets, or any other solid fuels in your fireplace, woodstove, or other wood-burning device is illegal.

When wood burning is allowed, residents who do burn in a fireplace or outdoor fire pit must still burn cleanly using dry, seasoned firewood, and not burn garbage, leaves or other material that would cause excessive smoke.

In neighboring Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, which includes Vacaville and Dixon, a “Don’t Light Tonight” request has been issued. Unlike the Bay Area district, Yolo-Solano does not enforce a mandatory ban on burning but instead issues an advisory and asks residents to voluntarily refrain from using their fireplace or wood stove.

Don’t Light Tonight season runs from November through February. During this time period, common weather conditions and the elevated use of fireplaces and wood stoves raise the levels of fine particulate pollution (commonly called soot) in the air. Fine particulates cause breathing problems for many residents, especially the very young, the elderly, those with respiratory ailments such as asthma and those with heart disease.