This winter it is illegal to burn wood, pellets, or manufactured fire logs in any indoor or outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or wood or pellet stove when a Winter Spare the Air Alert is issued.

Winter Spare the Air season runs from November 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009. I have discovered that there are a number of people unaware of this new regulation.

The new rule also places year-round prohibitions on excessive chimney smoke and the burning of garbage, plastics, or other harmful materials in fireplaces and woodstoves.

Violators will get warnings by mail. Repeat offenders face fines of as much as $2,000.

It is okay to use gas-fueled fireplaces and logs, gas inserts, or electrical fireplaces.

The Spare the Air Program website gives this explanation for the new regulation:

In the wintertime, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) becomes the pollutant with the greatest impact on air quality. Fine particulates can bypass the body’s natural defenses, penetrating deeply into the lungs and even passing into the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure to the fine particulates in wood smoke has been linked with aggravated asthma, lung and heart disease, and increased mortality rates. Wood burning in fireplaces and woodstoves creates about one-third of the winter particulate matter air pollution in the Bay Area.

So, how do you know when it is a Winter Spare the Air day?

Winter Spare the Air Alerts are available by calling 1-877-466-2876, visiting the Spare the Air Program or Bay Area Air Quality Management District websites. There you will also find information about signing up for e-mail alert notifications and automatic phone call alerts.

See also: San Jose: Winter Spare the Air 2009-2010