Please respect your neighbors by not polluting the air with your chimney smoke. It’s never legal to emit visible smoke (as defined by Washington code 173-433-110) even if a wood stove is your only source of heat.

It’s entirely possible to burn wood, as most people now do, in a way that will emit minimal smoke. Your neighbors will thank you.

The following was taken verbatim from the state Web site http://www.pscleanair.org/actions/woodstoves/law.aspx:

“Watch your chimney smoke. Generating excessive smoke is not only unneighborly, it’s illegal.

“Under state regulations, smoke from your chimney cannot exceed 20 percent opacity for six consecutive minutes (as shown on the site). Great smoke densities could result in fines from air pollution control officials.

“It is always illegal to smoke out your neighbor. Everyone has a right to breathe clean air. If smoke from your fire is affect your neighbors, it is considered a nuisance and subject to enforcement action.

“To minimize smoke, burn small, hot fires and give the fire plenty of air.

Check your chimney occasionally and if you see smoke coming out, you are not burning hot enough and are wasting fuel. Let your fire have more air and check your chimney again.”

Phil Dooley

Bainbridge Island