With the passing of last week’s storms, western Washington now faces the daunting task of cleaning up. The heavy snow and ice storms resulted in hundreds of downed trees and broken limbs throughout the region. Rather than trying to burn that wet, green wood, Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) encourages residents to find clean, safe alternative means of disposal. Chipping, composting and curbside picking of yard waste where available are reasonable alternatives. ORCAA maintains lists of other options for residents of each of its six counties on its website, www.orcaa.org.
ORCAA also reminds residents that outdoor burning is prohibited year-round for most Washington cities and the cities’ Urban Growth Area (UGA) boundaries. In the unincorporated areas of counties where burning may be allowed, residents are encouraged to, at a minimum, delay the burning of woody storm debris. Cut and stack the woody debris to allow it to dry thoroughly before burning.
The trees and limbs that came down as a result of the storms this month is wet and mostly likely green. That means that woody debris will not burn cleanly, resulting in excessive smoke and fine particular matter (PM2.5) air pollution.
Likewise, that wood is not suitable for use in wood stoves or fire places this winter. If residents do have storm debris that’s potentially useable in their home heating appliances, it should be cut into useable lengths, split and stacked under cover now so it can dry and cure for last least 9 months before use next fall. Clean, dry firewood produces little or no smoke when burned properly, while wet wood produces substantial smoke as much of the fire’s heat is used to dry the wood enough for combustion.
Just because you can burn doesn’t mean you should
Burning at any time adds to the air pollution levels in your local neighborhood, and residents are encouraged to seek alternatives to burning throughout the year.
Where outdoor burning is allowed, residents must remember the only material they may legally burn is natural vegetation gathered on site. State law prohibits the burning of garbage and home-repair debris. Burn barrels of any kind are also prohibited by state law.
Unregulated outdoor burning of any kind can contribute to poor air quality, but burning garbage and other debris—even scraps of milled wood products—is particularly problematic. Most household garbage contains a great deal of plastics, chemicals, coatings and chemically treated materials. When burned, this garbage and waste material releases toxic fumes and particles into the air. This pollution can cause disease ranging from eye and respiratory irritation to potential cancers.