Whatcom View: Learn the risks and rules of heating with wood

It’s the time of year when many people are beginning to cozy up to a warm fire, and the smell of wood smoke is in the air.

While that smell may be comforting to some, it can be frightening to others who suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems.

If you choose to heat your home with wood, it’s important to know the health risks, and it’s your responsibility to follow the laws and rules to ensure your fire is legal.

Smoke can harm your health

Smoke from any fire contains tiny particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.

Particle pollution is linked to a number of health problems, including coughing, wheezing, reduced lung function, asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes. It also is linked to early death.

Fine particles are one of the pollutants the Northwest Clean Air Agency measures with air quality monitors at all seven of our monitoring locations in Island, Skagit and Whatcom counties. The monitors measure particles that are 2 ½ microns or less in diameter. There are about 25,000 microns in an inch. The larger particles in the PM 2.5 size range would be about thirty times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

The national health-based standards are no more than an average of 35 micrograms of PM 2.5 per cubic meter of air in 24 hours and no more than an average of 12 micrograms of PM 2.5 per cubic meter of air in a year.

Wood heating requirements

The state of Washington’s particle pollution standards and wood-stove certification requirements are some of the most protective in the country.

But the requirements are only effective if people follow them, and even a certified wood stove can produce too much smoke if operated poorly. Excessive smoke is illegal and could result in a fine.

If you heat with wood, here’s what you can do to reduce smoke:

Make sure your stove is certified in Washington: You can find a list of wood stoves that are certified for sale and installation in Washington on the state Department of Ecology website. Look for the list on the right side of this page: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/indoor_woodsmoke/wood_smoke_page.htm

Make sure your wood is dry and seasoned: Split and dry your wood at least a year before burning it to make sure it’s dry enough. Firewood should have a moisture content of 20 percent or less. You can check the moisture content with a hand-held wood moisture meter, available online or in most hardware or home-improvement stores. If the wood is dry, it will make a hollow cracking noise when you hit two pieces together.

Only burn wood: It is illegal to burn garbage, treated or painted wood, particle board, plastic, rubber, animal carcasses, asphalt products, paints, chemicals, or anything that normally emits dense smoke or foul odors.

Limit your smoke: The smokiness of your fire is restricted. Legal smoke plumes have no more than 20 percent opacity, which means you should still be able to see 80 percent of the background view through the smoke. Your best bet for complying with this requirement is to limit your smoke to heat waves from your chimney. If you can see smoke, your fire needs more air. (It’s OK to have more smoke while you’re starting or stoking the fire.)

Check the chimney: Go outside and look at your chimney often.

Check the weather: If there’s a temperature inversion and there’s no wind, your smoke is more likely to stay close to the ground. Consider refraining from using your wood stove during these conditions.

Check current air quality: Check the air quality monitor near you at www.nwcleanair.org/airquality/current.asp. If the gauge shows air quality is degraded, consider an alternative to heating with wood.

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Whatcom View: Learn the risks and rules of heating with wood."