Burn Brighter this Winter
Tasmanians are being encouraged to 'Burn Brighter this Winter' to reduce wood smoke pollution.
Wood heaters are a common and efficient way to warm homes and keep well in winter. Often wood heater owners burn wood overnight to keep homes warm and this can often result in visible smoke around many towns and suburbs across Tasmania.
To reduce smoke emissions, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Councils are encouraging residents to burn wood with a flame (Burn Brighter) when loading in new wood, rather than loading wood and shutting down the air intake straight away – which results in higher smoke emissions.
Dr John Innis from the EPA said air quality monitoring undertaken across Tasmania shows that there is poor air quality in several locations during the winter months.
“On still winter days and nights, smoke tends to linger and build up around towns and suburbs, which is unpleasant, can be a nuisance and can also have negative consequences on our health,” Dr Innis said.
The amount of smoke coming from a wood heater is dependent on the age and type of heater, but also on how it is operated.
“The good news is that we can burn wood in a way that creates less smoke.
“To reduce smoke, make sure you always burn with a flame (don’t let your fire smoulder); after reloading, open the air control and burn your fire on high for 20 minutes, especially before retiring for the night; only burn dry, seasoned wood; and make sure the flue is clean.”
“If you can, go outside every once in a while and check how much smoke is coming from your chimney. If it is regularly producing a lot of smoke even with good operation you may need to have your heater checked or the flu cleaned.”
The EPA’s annual 'Burn Brighter this Winter' campaign, now in its fifth year provides easy-to-follow advice about how wood heaters can be operated to reduce smoke emissions.
For further information about smoke levels in your area, smoke alerts and health advice for people affected by wood smoke visit
www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/alerts/air/
More information about how to use your wood heater responsibly and reduce smoke pollution can be found on the EPA website at www.epa.tas.gov.au/burn-brighter
