According to the calendar, fall begins in late September, but we all know that November tends to mark the true start of fall in the San Joaquin Valley.
It's also the start of a four-month "check before you burn" season in the valley, when the valley air district restricts use of wood-burning fireplaces and stoves because air quality is poor due to high counts of small particulates. In the first 15 days of this month, Stanislaus County has had three such days. Merced County had none, and San Joaquin County had only one.
The fireplace restrictions have been around for many years, but every year, some residents gripe about them. Others suggest that there should be more days in which burning is prohibited because they are bothered by the smoke that drifts through their neighborhoods. The particulates can be irritating for some people and even lethal for those with asthma or breathing illnesses.
People who don't have access to natural gas service and rely entirely on their wood-burning stoves for heat qualify for an exemption. There aren't a lot of those people in the valley, especially in the urban areas. And in newer homes, most of the fireplaces are gas, so they are not subject to burn prohibitions.
Are the current restrictions so tough as to be onerous?
We don't think so, when the trade-off is improving air quality. Also, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District makes it easy for people to check on whether it is a "please burn cleanly" or a "wood burning prohibited" day. The information is available on the district Web site, www.valleyair.org, and people can sign up for an e-mail alert. It is also available on a toll-free phone line, (800) 766-4463. The Bee prints the information on its daily weather page on the back of the Local News section. Look at the top right corner for the burn advisories for Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties.
The air district is looking at tighter rules for the future and those could severely limit wood burning during the winter. The tighter restrictions are one of several proposals from the valley air district to meet the federal air standards; a vote could be taken next month, though the tighter restrictions wouldn't take effect until 2014. Information about the proposals is available at www.valleyair.org/Air_Quality_Plans/PM25Plans2012.htm.
For the time being, we urge residents to abide by the burn restrictions and to burn cleanly when they do have a fire in the fireplace. That means using clean, seasoned and dry wood, or opting for a manufactured fire log, which provides the same ambience but burns more cleanly.
And we urge people to consider the incentives that the air district is offering to people who upgrade to a fireplace insert or cleaner-burning pellet or gas stoves. The cash incentives range from $100 to $1,500. Information is available on the Web site.
It's tempting to reminisce about the days when there were no restrictions on fireplace use. Those also were the days when there were far fewer people living in our valley and when we weren't as aware of the health impacts of bad air. The particulates from burning in an open fireplace contribute to a valleywide problem, but their impact is greatest on the people who live in that house or nearby. That should be enough to encourage valley residents to check before you burn.
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