Back Yard Smoke Palo Alto Issues, posted by Richard, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Jun 3, 2006 at 5:00 pm
I'm wondering if anyone else is bothered by the seemingly recent trend of back yard fire pits?
When my neighbors start a fire in thier back yard pit as they've done today, my house immediatly fills with smoke. You would think that with the warm summer day's upon us that a back yard fire would be unecessary if not counter productive. When we smell smoke we have to scramble and close all the windows and doors, on a day like today this seems ludicrouse.
With the current EPA attitued toward fireplaces in individuale homes how is it that you can't go into your locale hardware store or Home Depot without seeing these fire place pits on display for the summer sales.
Does anyone else have problems with this?
Are there any local ordinances related to this topic?
Posted by Lori, a resident of Los Altos, on Jun 5, 2006 at 12:29 am
We do the same mad dash and it's year round. Fireplaces when there's a chill, pits on occasion the rest of the year.
Our house would fill up with smoke even with the windows closed, so we've worked on sealing the crevices. But we still have one small mystery one we can't find.
It's so upsetting to have to leave home until the smoke clears if I'm too slow to the window or not being able to go outside to work or relax because the air is thick with smoke.
Posted by trudy, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jun 9, 2006 at 8:49 am
Yes, this is really annoying. Also, someone down the street from my house on Forest Ave. uses a fireplace in the winter, and literally the whole block smells like smoke. This is not only a health hazard, lucky I don't have asthma, but a pollution problem.
I thought I read a few years ago that fireplaces were restricted in new houses because of pollution. I know burning leaves outdoors is a no-no. How do firepits escape regulation?
This is not 50 years ago, when people were more spread out, and we didn't have to worry about global warming.
Posted by Al, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jun 10, 2006 at 8:25 am
Stop your complaning. Now you want firepits ban! Everything is leaving or ban from Palo ALto ie: Gas blowers, hotels, food stores, big box retail. When does it stop? Every city around us is taking more of our sales taxes.
Posted by Tyler Hanley, online editor of Palo Alto Online, on Jun 10, 2006 at 3:42 pm Tyler Hanley is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online
Al,
Thanks for your comments, but in the future please don't characterize the postings of others as "complaining." For this forum to be successful, people who disagree need to focus on the issue being discussed and treat each other with respect.
Posted by dan, a resident of another community, on Aug 21, 2006 at 5:52 am
i agree, the fire pits have become a menace. In the cooler months, it is almost impossible to open the windows. No matter which way the wind blows, someone is burning their recreational fire. I have come to believe that the only recreational value in this device is for the one burning the wood. everyone else suffers... so much for consideration of the neighbors. whats that i hear? " but its legal." " i have a right to burn this wood in my back yard." maybe so, but driving a car is legal too, do you have the right to drive over people with your car? i find it stunning that so many adults act so childish and inconsiderate.
i challenge the wood burners to answer these questions:
1) when your fire pit is burning, do you leave the windows of your home open?
2) when there is a wind, which side of the pit do you sit on?
now, i could be wrong but my guess is that you do not leave the windows of YOUR home open as your pit is smoking and burning. i would also bet that you sit in a position where you are not in the direct path of the smoke/fumes and other byproducts of YOUR fire.
herein lies the problem... try to follow this logic:
your neighbor, who is getting smoked out by YOUR recreational fire cannot move his house out of the path of YOUR smoke. you on the other hand can just get up and move your chair away from the smoke and stink.
i challenge you wood burners to sit in the smoke and stink of YOUR fire instead of moving your chair to the fresh air side.
i also challenge you to leave your home windows open while you burn your fire pit.
in the long run, you will drive down the value of your own neighborhood. try to sell your house then. who wants to live in a neighborhood of adult children that smells like a war zone?
Posted by Sid, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 10, 2010 at 8:38 pm
I too have a neighbor who has some weird need to burn wood every night in his backyard fire pit. He has a new wife and this must be his way to romance her. I am so sick of running a closing all my windows. His fire pit is near my bedroom and I have to close my windows on nice summer nights because of this. Isn't there a law to stop these fire bugs from ruining the air??? I am so sick of smelling his smoke and now feel like I must move. I am in my 60s and this is not something that I yearn to do since I love my home. Anyone have any answers???
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