Nuisance wood burning, smoke

When a wood stove, pellet stove or fireplace is lit indoors, or a fire pit or barbecue outdoors, smoke is produced. That smoke contains harmful substances, including particulate matter. These harmful substances cause air pollution and can cause damage to the health of yourself and others around you. The municipality of Wassenaar occasionally receives questions and reports about nuisance caused by smoke from a neighbor's stove, fireplace or fire basket.

How does it work?

Smart heating

Many nuisances can be avoided by firing smartly and using only dry and unpainted wood to burn. The weather is also influential. If it is windless, the smoke remains in the air with all its harmful health effects. So preferably fire when it is windy.

There are a number of websites with tips on how to go about this and the ways in which you can heat smartly.

A roadmap of what to do about odor and smoke nuisance is at milieucentraal: https://www.milieucentraal.nl/in-en-om-het-huis/gezonde-leefomgeving/gezond-in-en-om-huis/overlast-van-hout-stoken/

Tips on smart stoking can also be found on Wood Burning: the Stookwijzer and the stokealert | Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (iplo.nl). On this website you can see whether stoking wood at your location is responsible in relation to current air quality and wind power.

What to do

Are you bothered by wood burning? Have a conversation with each other. Use the tips on this page. Not everyone is aware that the cozy fireplace or stove leads to the emission of harmful substances. And that these are bad for the health of both the environment and the owner himself. Therefore, always try to come out of it together.

When residents cannot work things out with each other and the nuisance persists, a report can be filed.

Directly arrange online

You can report directly through the Stookwijzer. You can do so via the button below, at the bottom right of the new website page. This allows the RIVM and municipality of Wassenaar to see how many and what kind of complaints there are. If you want the municipality to contact you, please indicate this in the explanation.

Report

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