How to Reduce Wood Smoke Pollution in the Winter Air

Wood smoke pollution is a problem in many areas, especially in the winter season. Small particles of dust, ash and smoke can cause health effects from bronchitis to emphysema. Follow these steps in doing your part to save the air.

Things You'll Need

• Fire Detector
• Fire Logs
• Fireplaces
• Firewood
• Fire Extinguishers

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Limit burning wood in your fireplace or wood stove. There are other ways to limit pollution while maintaining a warm fire. Using hardwood firewood (oak, hickory, orchard) or using certain brands of fire logs can produce around 50 percent less pollution.

• 2

  Switch to a natural gas fireplace, which burns cleaner and is relatively convenient and safe to operate.

• 3

  Switch to wood stoves certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, which limit the release of combustible gases that would escape as wood smoke. See "How to Choose Between EPA-Certified Wood Stoves" for more details.

• 4

  Burn only dry, seasoned wood with a moisture content of less than 20 percent. Avoid burning garbage, glossy magazine paper or chemically treated wood.

• 5

  Build a small, hot fire rather than a towering inferno, limiting the amount of harmful smoke escaping through the chimney. Start with a couple of softwoods (pine, fir) and slowly add hardwood logs.

• 6

  Keep an eye on the chimney for smoke and have both the chimney and fireplace inspected. When there's a lot of smoke, there often is a fire lit incorrectly or burning hazardously.