Press Releases
03/07/2025
DEEP Reminds Residents To Use Best Practices When Wood Burning for Heat During Remaining Days of Winter
(HARTFORD)— Burning wood to keep a home warm is a long-standing tradition in New England, and we still expect to have a few more cold days before spring truly arrives. Depending on the source of the wood, wood burning can provide a cost-effective alternative to use of fossil fuels. This practice does produce indoor and outdoor emissions harmful to human health, however, which is why the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is urging residents to protect their health and that of their family, friends, and neighbors by employing “best burn” practices. Properly burning the correct type of wood limits exposure to wood smoke, which is a toxic air pollutant.
Did you know that one old, inefficient wood stove can emit as much air pollution as five dirty, old diesel trucks? Wood smoke is a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic matter burn. Wood smoke contains hazardous air pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene, acrolein and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Wood smoke can cause severe health impacts and significantly contribute to poor air quality days in many areas across the state. Skillful use of a well-engineered, up-to-date combustion appliance can minimize, but not eliminate, these emissions.
Based on the impacts associated with inhaling unhealthy levels of wood smoke, DEEP recommends residents use these “best burn” tips to reduce wood smoke pollution:
- Not all wood is the same. To reduce particle pollution, only burn dry, seasoned wood. Softwoods, such as pine or Douglas fir, need at least six months to dry, and hardwoods, such as oak, need at least a year.
- Never burn household trash, including cardboard, plastics, foam and the colored ink on magazines, boxes and wrappers. Coated, painted, and pressure-treated lumber, ocean driftwood, plywood, particle board, or any wood with glue on or in it should not be burned. Not only do these materials release toxic or harmful chemicals when burned, but they may damage your appliance.
- Don’t burn wet wood. Burning wet wood creates excessive smoke, and wet wood burns inefficiently, meaning the heat literally goes up in smoke. Do not burn wet or green (unseasoned) wood. Buy an inexpensive moisture meter at a hardware store to test the moisture content of your wood, and only burn wood if the moisture content is 20% or less.
- Newer is cleaner. Old wood stoves are bad polluters and less efficient than newer ones. Newer, EPA-certified wood stoves and fireplace inserts (wood stoves designed to fit into a fireplace), if used properly, reduce air pollution by 70% compared to older models. Additionally, EPA-certified wood stoves and fireplace inserts are up to 50% more energy efficient, use one-third less wood for the same heat, and help lessen the risk of fires by reducing creosote build-up in chimneys.
- Provide sufficient air to the fire; never let it smolder. A smoldering fire is neither safe nor efficient.
- Keep the doors of your wood-burning appliance closed unless loading or stoking the live fire. Harmful chemicals, like carbon monoxide, can be released into your home.
- Regularly remove ashes into a covered, metal container. Store the container outdoors on a nonflammable surface.
- Keep your chimney clean. A clean chimney provides good draft for your wood stove and reduces the risk of a chimney fire. Have your chimney inspected at least once a year.
- Be sure to always keep a fire extinguisher handy.
- Always check your local air quality forecast before you burn.
For more information, visit EPA’s Best Wood-Burning Practices webpage
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110