Wood burning ban takes effect today; $400 fines for violators

Posted: 11/01/2009 02:43:10 PM PST

The second season of the Bay Area's crackdown on wood burning begins Sunday, and this year residents will have more warning on when not to burn. Last winter the Bay Area Air Quality Management District launched a zero-tolerance policy for wood smoke on "Spare the Air" days, when weather conditions make it likely that smoke will hang in the air and cause particulate pollution, making it hard for some people to breathe. The pollution also puts the Bay Area in danger of flunking federal clean-air standards.

Last year the word on whether one could burn typically came the morning of a Spare the Air day, but not everyone got the word and many people were confused.

This year, air officials will announce a Spare the Air day by 2 p.m. the day before to better inform the public about the burn ban.

"We changed it this year," said Kristine Roselius, a spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. "We feel confident we can make the call the day before. Whenever we have a cold, still night you can count on the smoke building up."

The rule will be in place from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28 and outlaws the use of wood-burning devices including fireplaces, pellet stoves, wood stoves and outdoor fire pits.

As was the case last year, the air district will send out several of its 70 inspectors to look for chimney smoke and field complaints on bad-air days.

Those who burn during a winter Spare the Air "alert" will receive a warning for the first violation, with a

second violation subject to a $400 ticket. The ticket amount will increase with any subsequent violations, depending on the severity of the infraction. Local police agencies are not involved in the enforcement of air rules. On bad-air nights during the winter, smoke from 1.4 million fireplaces and wood stoves in the Bay Area accounts for 33 percent of the particulate matter that pollutes the air, outpacing cars, which account for 23 percent of the pollution. Particulate matter measures about one-seventh the diameter of a human hair and can pass through the nose and throat and lodge deep in the lungs, according to air officials.

There are expected to be between 15 and 20 Spare the Air alerts during the season.

"In my immediate area they seemed to burn less last winter," said asthma sufferer Miriam Spross, of Novato, who carries a mask in her purse in case she encounters smoke. "I wasn't as sick last winter as I usually get. I think people tried a bit more not to burn."

The burn program was a hot topic in the county last year. In Marin, 391 complaints were lodged about wood smoke on days when burning in fireplaces was banned. The air district sent 55 residents warnings reminding them of the no-burning rule, although no fines were issued anywhere in the Bay Area.

The rule applies to the nine-county Bay Area region, which has a population of 6.9 million.

Although Marin, population 246,500, accounts for just 3.5 percent of the region's population, it accounted for 27 percent of the complaints lodged with the air quality district last winter.

"We are mapping all our complaints and we are concentrating our patrols that had a high number of complaints, and Marin had the highest number of complaints last year," Roselius said. "And for anyone who got a warning last year, the slate is not wiped clean this year. If they are found in violation they are subject to a $400 ticket."

The district also is aware of difficulties facing areas, such as Woodacre, where access to natural gas is limited and many families rely on wood for heat. The rules include exemptions for those families and businesses that must burn wood to stay warm. Woodacre had the most complaints of any Marin community, with 171.

"We deal with those on a one-by-one basis," said Roselius, adding Woodacre residents were sent an information packet before this burn season.

But the bottom line is people need to be aware before they light a fire, a top air official said.

"This winter, Bay Area residents must check before they burn," said Jack Broadbent, executive director of the air district. "It is illegal to burn wood or fire logs when a winter Spare the Air alert is in effect. Wood smoke pollution is associated with a number of serious health risks and is particularly harmful to children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems."

MORE INFORMATION

Marin residents can check before they burn by:

-- Visiting www.baaqmd.gov or www.sparetheair.org

-- Calling 1-877-4-NO-BURN

-- Signing up for e-mail alerts at www.sparetheair.org

-- Signing up for phone alerts by calling 1-800-430-1515

Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at mprado@marinij.com