neighbors fireplace is killing us (attorney, houses, neighborhoods)

[smoked out]

Our next door neighbor built an illegal fireplace in approx 2004. He finally got a permit and approved in Dec 2011. This year my husband and I have been to the ER 3x since it was approved. We have to shut our windows and doors have 2 air purifiers on and our air quality monitor ofter is in either the poor or very poor range. The clean air branch won't help the police don't help the fire dept can't help and now I get nauseated have to use an inhaler and steroid nose drops. My husband hasn't had an asthma attack since he was a kid and has had 2 since Dec 2011. We have written to the governor of our state our representative of our island, without any results. The Kauai council are the only ones that seem to care also the fire dept. but so far I have to leave during the day because I get nauseated and can't breathe . Legal aid can't help Hawaii's legal consult can't help and tomorrow between 5-6pm we are to call Oahu for free legal consult - we can't really afford an attorney but air (clean air should be free especially in Hawaii) wood fireplaces can kill you (cardiac and cancer) We are not spring chickens and can't stand it anymore!!!

[Snikt]

Why would you even need a fireplace in HI?

[snofarmer]

Not sure why they need a fire place but did you know that there is a ski area in Hawaii.


As for the op your in a tough spot as they have gained the proper permit for the fire place.
Why is your home so drafty that you can't keep the smoke out.

[whtviper1]

I've sometimes found that things like knocking on the neighbors door and saying - hey, I'm old and elderly - the smoke is making us sick - can you please not use the fireplace - may work

[KonaKat]

People use fireplaces here that live at higher elevations - it gets very chilly at night (to us) in the wintertime about 1500 feet elevation and up. However I can't understand why another person's fireplace is causing so much smoke inside a neighbor's home that they are getting sick. That's a mystery to me.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

So your neighbors built a fireplace seven years ago, and it just started bothering you a month ago? Did your neighbor just start using it?

I agree with whtviper1 -- perhaps you could talk with your neighbor. It seems strange that their smoke is coming directly into your house. Something must be malfunctioning.

Did you try talking with the building inspector?

[Jeepers Creepers]

Originally Posted by KonaKat

People use fireplaces here that live at higher elevations - it gets very chilly at night (to us) in the wintertime about 1500 feet elevation and up. However I can't understand why another person's fireplace is causing so much smoke inside a neighbor's home that they are getting sick. That's a mystery to me.

Contact the EPA and request an air quality study of your location. The smoke emitted from wood burning contains the following: Fine Particles: These particles are so small that several thousand of them could fit on the period at the end of a sentence. They reach the deepest recesses of the lungs and accelerate hardening of the arteries, negatively affecting heart function.
Nitrogen Dioxide: This odorless gas that can irritate your eyes, nose and throat and cause shortness of breath. In people with asthma, exposure to low levels of NO2 may cause increased bronchial reactivity and make young children more susceptible to respiratory infections. Long-term exposure to high levels of NO2 can lead to chronic bronchitis.
Carbon Monoxide: This odorless, colorless, poisonous gas interferes with the delivery of oxygen throughout the body and may cause headaches, dizziness and, at higher concentrations, death. Those with cardiac and respiratory disease may be more sensitive to lower levels of this gas.
Toxic Compounds: These include such compounds as formaldehyde, benzene, methyl chloride and methyl ethyl ketone (a wide range of compounds that usually have no color, taste or smell.) Some cause direct and negative health effects by penetrating deep into the lungs.
Carbon Dioxide: This greenhouse gas contributes to global climate change.
The above particles found in wood smoke are too small to be filtered by the nose and upper respiratory system, so they end up deep in your lungs. They can remain there for several months causing structural damage and chemical changes to your body without you even being aware.
Not Just Your Household's Health at Risk
If you don't have a fireplace or wood-burning stove at home, don't feel at ease just yet. You're heath still may be at risk ... from your neighbor's fireplaces and wood-burning stoves.
Because wood smoke contains such tiny particles, the smoke is not stopped by closed doors and windows, and seeps into nearby neighbors' houses. In fact, during winter months, wood smoke does not rise and often hangs close to the ground, entering yards, houses, schools, and hospitals. Subsequently, areas with valley locations and poor air circulation are affected most.

Inform your neighbors of the situation, and that it may be harming THEM, and, how it has affected you. It is appalling that none the the agencies contacted have guided you more. Inform EPA of the entire scenario and which agencies you have been in touch with to resolve the matter for your health. Tell EPA you have/will copy your state representatives and senators; more so due to the passive lack of assistance. Unfortunately for many --- especially those who suffer from asthma and allergies -- the use of such heating devices can trigger health-related disasters in unexpected ways.

A recent University of Washington study in Seattle and an EPA study in Boise, Idaho neighborhoods found that indoor PM10 levels (particulate matter - one of six major air pollutants for which there is a national air quality standard) from wood smoke in homes without wood stoves reach an astonishing 50% to 70% of outdoor levels when burning wood. Neighbors to wood fires may unwillingly be breathing smoky air, even if they are not wood burners.

Asthma Triggers may include: Weather changes (including changes in barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature)
Air pollution, smoke (cigarette or wood), chemical or fuel vapors, fumes or even perfumes and other scents.

[Snikt]

Originally Posted by snofarmer

Not sure why they need a fire place but did you know that there is a ski area in Hawaii.

Sure didn't know that. Surprised it's 2400 acres too, no lifts so it's more like back country skiing


"Skiing Hawaii is not for the timid spirit or for anyone who is not in good physical condition. This is skiing in the wilderness, so to speak. There are no lifts, no grooming, and no resorts but a 4WD is your ski lift."

[OpenD]

My place is at 4,000 ft altitude, where it is cool and damp, and census figures show that 1/3 of the houses in the surrounding area have woodstoves for heat. Another 1/3 have propane heat.

Hawai'i encompasses all but two of the 13 climate zones of the world, including arid desert.

[hotzcatz]

Can you alter the wind patterns around your house so the neighbor's fireplace smoke go somewhere else? A line of trees to deflect the breeze? Can you offer to build his chimney higher? Install a purifier of some sort on his chimney?

Since you can't get any governmental agencies to help you, it looks like you'll have to do what you can to get your own mitigating factors going. Have you looked online to see what other folks have done in these sorts of situations? Have you tried working with your neighbor? Once you get an attorney involved, I doubt you'll ever have a good relationship with your neighbor again. Although if you aren't able to work out anything with the fireplace, then you probably don't have a good relationship with them now.