WCPO news report on killer wood burning fireplace smoke

[ruiner4u]

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=87ca1971-a0d6-4321-bd14-1722e84d584d

Is Your Fireplace Making Your Neighbors Sick?
Reported by: Brendan Keefe



It's the new second-hand smoke: your fireplace is now being targeted by those who say wood fires not only pollute, they kill.

The debate has pitted neighbor against neighbor on this otherwise quiet street in loveland.

Rob Streicher and his wife Vonda enjoy their wood burning fireplace. Their next-door neighbors, Jack and Kate Earley, say the smoke from that fire has ruined their lives.

"No wood smoke, we start healing up," explained Jack Earley of Loveland. "Wood smoke, we start having problems."

"We usually don't smell it first," added Kate Earley. "We usually feel the itching, or feel the ache in the tail bone, and then we say, 'is there smoke around?"

Kate complains of pain and fatigue. Jack has mysterious quarter-sized rashes on his legs and arms, all conditions they attribute to wood smoke.

"I understand he says he has a medical condition, but I don't think it's based on wood smoke," said Rob Streicher. "Fire has been heating homes, heating people, for thousands of years. And know all of a sudden it's going to kill us? I don't think so."

The earleys are so concerned, they've become self-described "bubble people, sealing themselves into their own home with giant sheets of plastic.

Their front door is sealed, not to keep out intruders, but what they describe as an invisible killer. The shrink wrap covers every window and their own fireplace is wrapped in a plastic cocoon - mantle, photos and all.

"We have new windows coming, new doors," Jack Earley said. "This has cost us a fortune."

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=87ca1971-a0d6-4321-bd14-1722e84d584d

[ananda]

1. That is bizarre.

I never had a problem with wood smoke.

I'm wondering if there's some other factor
at play, perhaps something else in the smoke,
or else a mental problem.

[Lasher]

2. Mental problem is my guess.

But there might be something to this. For example, burning wood that has poising ivy vines still clinging to it produces toxic smoke.

[aquart]

7. But everyone would feel that. Not just them.

The family burning the wood would feel it.

[Lasher]

18. Maybe so, maybe not.

In a tight wood burning inserter like the one I have, I hardly ever smell smoke unless I go outside. But I don't know firsthand if I would suffer from toxic fumes in that case because I'm always careful to remove the vines.

But like I said this is probably not a case of vines in the fireplace, but the nuts next door.

[Maine-ah]

22. are their neighbors burning only wood?

my neighbors burn their trash too, and it stinks like hell, I also believe it's not legal. I have grown up with wood fires and have never had a problem with them. I have a wood stove for emergencies, but I heat with LP.

[spoony]

25. Maybe there's a chemical treatment on the wood?

When my neighbour was burning trash I could see different colours of smoke coming off the heap. Blue. Green tints. I called the cops, no way I was going to put up with that.

[shraby]

3. Chances are, if they've covered their windows

and everything with plastic, the sickness is in their mind or coming from their own house.

[ruiner4u]

27. thats what i think

[knitter4democracy]

4. I have asthma and allergies, but I've never had trouble with woodsmoke.

I grew up with wood-burning fireplaces and have and use one now. I wonder if it's the wood itself--do their neighbors have ivy covering it or is it full of mold and fungi that they're allergic to? How odd.

[seabeyond]

12. hey..... no way.....

you were the one flippin over just SEEING someone smoke. lol lol. now this "smoke" does nuthin to you.

hmmmmmmmm

i am in a quandery on this one

[knitter4democracy]

15. Wood smoke is fine unless blown right in my face.

Cigarette smoke is fine unless it's blown right in my face. I said that over and over on the threads, but that part was always conveniently ignored. I can handle restaurants but not sitting next to a smoker blowing smoke in my face.

I live in Michigan--where smoking in restaurants and bars is constitutionally protected and where nursing homes have smoking areas. It also snows here, like right now, and it's smart to have a back-up heat source for power outtages in the winter.

The only quandry is how you can possibly not understand this.

[seabeyond]

19. in all my 46 fuckin years, i have NEVER known ANYONE to blow in my or

anyone elses face

how often do you have issue with people coming up to you to blow in your face.

why i never

if anyone walked up to me and blew in my face, (smoke or just breath) i would have issues myself. the whole personal space thing, not to mention someone bad breath. i have BIG issue with smelly breath. smokey breath would win over just plain bad breath. cringing at the thoguht of someone with bad breath walking up and blowing in my face.... eeeew

[knitter4democracy]

24. I have. They usually don't mean to.

They're with their friends up ahead or sitting next to me, and to avoid blowing their smoke near their friends, they turn and blow it into the group next to or behind them. Or, they're walking ahead of me, and the wind blows their smoke right into my face. It's not usually intentional

[DS1]

5. headcase

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Years ago, some communities in Colorado and other states, did ban the use of wood stoves due to air

pollution.

[WritersBlock]

8. Woodsmoke makes me nauseous. I'm with the Earleys on this one.

Our nextdoor neighbors installed a stove when they moved in - they burn wood, peat, and and other gawd-awful smelling stuff in it. Due to the prevailing winds in this area, our house is usually downwind.

The fumes make me nauseous, and they come into our house. Right now, in winter, it's not quite as bad because we keep our windows shut. But there are days when they still leak in, and then I start feeling sick.

And it's very bad in spring & autumn. There are no air conditioned houses here (or at least none I've ever been in), so when it starts warming up a bit, the house gets stuffy, and we'd like to open the windows. Unfortunately, I guess our neighbors are cold-natured, because they have their fire going anytime it's cooler than about 70F, which is fairly often here in Scotland.

And it's not like it's their only form of heat. They make plenty of money, and freely describe the stove as a luxury - it's something they *like* to do, not something they *need* to do.

It gets into our furniture, our clothes drying on the line outside, and it makes me feel ill.

I really don't think that makes me a nutcase.

[seabeyond]

9. why dont we just dictate how everyone lives, ..... per you

or, suck it up.

pun not and intended.

[seabeyond]

10. wrong place

[AngryAmish]

20. Burning peat (turf) is the finest smell I can think of

[WritersBlock]

21. Wish my neighbors lived next door to you, then, because it makes me sick. n/t

[seabeyond]

11. cough cough. make them stop. cough.....

yup. i say go after it. AND ban the bbq

[Enrique]

13. I say the Earley's just don't like the smell

:shrug:

[ruiner4u]

29. but they have health problems?

???

DU taught me that smoke is eVil...

[fed-up]

14. Chico, CA's air is 3rd worst in state-cause wood burning stoves

there are days I have to shut my windows as neighbor burns wood in outdoor fire pit, this morning I went outside and started coughing due to someone's wood stove

Monday I went to the meeting on proposed new regulations for wood burning stoves which I agree with, but they are not the only cause of our disgusting air qualioty-I also wanted to make sure that they do better monitoring as I also believe a huge portion of our bad air quality is from ag burning-they claim that is regulated, but a lot of ag burning is done at illegally at night which they then incorrectly blame on wood burning stoves

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:VTq-tqH2Sd4J:www.chicoer.com/ci_8084706+chico%27s+air+called+third+worst+in+state&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=safari

Chico's air called third worst in state
By STEVE SCHOONOVER - City Editor
Article Launched: 01/26/2008

The problem

The type of pollution involved is what's called small
particulate pollution, technically known as PM2.5
pollution. It's pollution made up of bits smaller than
2.5 microns across. By comparison, a human hair is 70
microns in diameter.

The small particles can be inhaled deeply into the
lungs and become lodged there, creating health
problems that can be fatal, according to air quality
officials.


The federal standard for small particulate pollution
is less than 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air. On
the 14 days last year that Chico exceeded that
standard, the average reading at the monitoring
station on Manzanita Avenue was 56 micrograms per
cubic meter.

Three-quarters of those small bits were "organic
carbon," which is a byproduct of burning organic
materials. In Chico's case, almost all of that can be
attributed to wood-burning.

That's made clear partly by chemical analysis, and
partly by hour-by-hour monitoring of small particle
pollution. That monitoring shows those pollution
levels in Chico soaring starting in early evening, and
dropping off quickly a few hours after midnight.

Alternative sources that have been suggested for the
pollution — such as vehicle exhaust or ag burning —
would peak during daylight rather than at night.
..
An average EPA-certified woodstove generates about six
grams of smoke each hour. An open fireplace or older
woodstove generate in excess of 40 grams per hour.
Pellet stoves and gas stoves emit even less smoke than
the EPA-certified appliances.

..snip

[meow2u3]

16. Propaganda alert

The oil and gas companies are putting out that bullshit so they can outlaw wood-burning fireplaces, at times the only way poor people can keep warm without shelling out their meager incomes to line the pockets of Big Oil. Besides, wood is the oldest and cheapest from of heating fuel, something that's a threat to the greedy oil and gas companies.

Don't believe this hype.

[ruiner4u]

28. rofl

[MindPilot]

17. seems like all that plastic would out-gas more toxins

that the neighbor's fireplace.

And how is the smoke coming back down to enter the house?

Also it seems like all they would have to do is run their furnace blower. That puts the inside of the house under a slight positive pressure and problem solved.

[CreekDog]

23. Woodsmoke is fine particulate air pollution

on still nights, the smoke settles at ground level and may cause concentrations that are unhealthy for sensitive groups (or worse).

woodsmoke is a big component of wintertime air pollution in many communities and cities like Phoenix and Denver have strict rules regarding burning and the SF Bay Area is considering them as well.

[Horse with no Name]

26. 3 out of 5 people in my house have asthma

2 have it so severe that they have been hospitalized with it.
We use a wood fireplace consistently on cold nights--can't afford the electric bill if we don't.
We have never had it flare an attack, but I will concede that we use a very seasoned firewood and do not burn green wood.