Fireplaces should be illegal! (Berkeley, Santa Cruz: apartments, houses, to buy)

[Aquaboy]

Moderator cut: rude
I double checked, those no-fireplace in new home rules are in LA County, not the entire state. FYI.

[firesucks]

As I wrote in my very first sentence, I was wondering if anyone knew of any area that does ban it so I can move THERE when I am able to.

I don't care if it was done for 6,000 years, from my personal reaction to it and research, what you're breathing in is toxic and is worse than cigarette smoke.

I'm all for freedom and not banning things, but what others do shouldn't affect anyone else.

[alexxiz]

Moderator cut: rude

A lot of wood they're burning have been treated with toxic chemicals.

[LizzyNola]

Yes, apparently you did make a mistake moving here because there are millions of homes where they burn wood in their fireplaces!! My home has three fireplaces, and like another poster mentioned I, too, love the smell of the wood burning on chilly fall/winter nights!

Sorry, but you can't expect people not to use their fireplace simply because you do not like it! The world is not perfect dear so get over it!

Again, I suggest you move to an area/neighborhood where no one has a fireplace!

Not trying to be mean or anything, just keeping it real!

Good luck~

[EscapeCalifornia]

Unless you literally live above someone's chimney, how is it a problem? I like the smell of a fireplace on a cool evening.

[alexxiz]

Solution is simple: reroute chimneys back to the burning houses.

[Harrier]

@firesucks - how is burning wood "toxic and worse then cigarette smoke"? I will have to repeat what others have said - you are likely having an adverse reaction to smog.

[Vary]

I react very strongly to wood smoke as well (asthma). I just try to make sure the house is closed up by the time the sun goes down and folks light up their fireplaces. And I'll usually carry a sweater to cover my mouth and nose if I'm outside at night and there's a lot of smoke. Not really much else you can do about it.

It was strange coming here and finding not only a lack of no-burn days, but also no watering days. Of course, after they started implementing those, all hell broke loose.

[Visit a Library]

Originally Posted by firesucks

Or, does anyone know if there is any city/county that has such an ordinance?

I live in a townhouse that is built side by side to other homes. A lot of the community members are elderly, and they just love to get their fireplaces going even when it's not very cold.

I noticed that when they do that, my eyes water, throat and skin itches, and who knows what pollution I'm breathing in.

I found out from a friend that newer homes in California are prohibited to install a fireplace. This property was built way back in the 60s.

If LA is considering to ban cigarette smoke, it should also ban the use of fireplaces, it does equal or greater damage IMO.

People should learn to use modern source of heat such as from your central unit or even a wall furnace which emits less pollution, or upgrade the fireplace to natural gas if a fireplace is really necessary to use as a novelty.

+rep

I too cannot stand all the filth that billows from fireplaces. It would be one matter if the fireplace was located way out in the wilderness, where the air is very clean, but when the smoke from a fireplace is compounded by the vehicle exhaust from an overpopulated city, it's too much to handle, especially for those of us with allergies. And with the imitation ceramic logs and fiber glass cinders available, there's no reason people still need to be using a prehistoric technology simply for its aesthetic appeal.

[Visit a Library]

Originally Posted by alexxiz

Solution is simple: reroute chimneys back to the burning houses.

^ Was just thinking the same...