Officials issue a burn ban in this Whatcom community due to air quality concerns
Air quality concerns prompted officials to issue a burn ban for the Columbia Valley area in Whatcom County starting at 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13.
The Stage 1 air quality burn ban, issued by the Northwest Clean Air Agency, follows predictions that “cold, calm air” will prevent dangerous wood smoke from clearing out, according to a news release Thursday. The area subject to the burn ban includes the Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes developments.
That means no outdoor burning and no indoor burning in fireplaces or uncertified woodstoves (unless it’s your only adequate source of heat). Visible smoke from woodstoves or fireplaces is not allowed beyond a 20-minute start-up period, the release said.
Although air quality could improve throughout the day Thursday, smoke levels will increase in the evening, as cold weather prompts more people to light fires to keep their homes warm, the release said.
Smoke pollution presents a host of potential health issues: It can trigger asthma attacks, make breathing difficult and exacerbate lung and heart issues. Children, people older than 65 and those with lung and heart problems are the most vulnerable to health impacts.
These concerns are not new in Columbia Valley, said NW Clean Air Agency Executive Director Mark Buford: The area often has the worst air quality in Washington state.
That’s because many residents heat their home by burning wood, since there’s no natural gas service to the area, Buford said. The high concentration of woodstoves is combined with topography that traps smoke easily in the right conditions.
“Kendall is a bowl with big hills on both sides,” Buford said.
Air quality in Columbia Valley is currently moderate, with a dominant pollutant being particulate matter. Particulate matter is a type of air pollution made up of small, solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Some of the smallest particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, damaging tissue.
If you have to burn wood for heat, make small, hot fires, advises the Northwest Clean Air Agency. Don’t let fires smolder overnight, and check your chimney 20 minutes after lighting a fire to make sure it isn’t smoking. If it is, take action to reduce the smoke.
Enforcement of the burn ban will begin six or more hours after the ban has been called.
The Northwest Clean Air Agency has worked for years to reduce air pollution in Columbia Valley, helping people replace old woodstoves, encouraging residents to install electric ductless heat pumps and funding presentations on the benefits of owning a certified woodstove over an uncertified one. (Certified woodstoves meet clean air standards set by the U.S. EPA.)
About a decade ago, the agency explored the idea of bringing natural gas service to Columbia Valley but found the cost would be “extraordinary,” Buford said.
He continued on to say that natural gas service isn’t the best solution regardless, since it is a fossil fuel that contributes to climate change.
