Single-Point Resource for Burn Ban Information

Starting November 1, the winter burning curtailment season begins, which can cause confusion about the restrictions that may be imposed on fireplace usage by local air districts. Residents in the Western U.S. can check www.WhenToBurn.com for a single-point resource on when they can burn and ways to reduce emissions from their fireplaces.

A typical winter burn program runs from November through February. Most days during this period it is acceptable to burn, but mandatory no burn days can be issued at the discretion of the local districts if the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) is outside of each district's prescribed threshold. Residents are encouraged to use www.WhenToBurn.com as a simple, go-to resource for burn ban information. WhentoBurn.com aggregates information from local air districts into one portal, so the user can simply enter his or her zip code to access the local burn status.

Air districts reported include:

• City of Albuquerque
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Spare the Air Alerts)
• Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
• Lane Regional Air Protection Agency
• Maricopa County Air Quality Department
• Northwest Clean Air Agency
• Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
• Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District
• San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
• Southwest Clean Air Agency
• Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency
• Utah Department of Environmental Quality

In order to help maintain clean air quality, the following tips are recommended:

• Always ensure the flue is open before lighting a fire and that there is an adequate draft up the chimney.
• Have a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® inspect and clean chimneys annually. The Chimney Safety Institute of America's website offers a Certified Professional Locator.
• Never burn garbage or plastic.
• Regularly remove ashes from the fireplace to maintain proper airflow. Always empty the ashes into a metal container with a lid and store outside on a concrete surface.
• Use manufactured fire logs, like those from Duraflame, instead of wood; they burn up to 80 percent cleaner than an equivalent duration wood fire.
• If burning wood, use only dry, seasoned cordwood (dried for at least six months with less than 20 percent moisture), and always use a manufactured firestarter to minimize excessive emissions that can occur during the ignition of the fire.

The online resource is provided by the fire log manufacturer Duraflame, Inc. as part of a longstanding public education program to promote cleaner burning practices. Duraflame has worked cooperatively over the years with many local air districts, and, through this work, recognized the need to create a user friendly, one-stop resource for information on burning.