Burning Questions

A Wood Smoke Reduction Educational Platform

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Welcome to Burning Questions: A Wood Smoke Reduction Educational Platform.

Explore the information below to learn about wood smoke and how it effects our lungs, the community and environment. Take our knowledge quiz to receive a certificate of completion.

Understanding Wood Smoke and Air Quality in BC

Wood smoke is a major source of air pollution in British Columbia, especially when it comes to fine particles (PM2.5) that can harm your health.

Click on the facts below to learn more:

Many people think it’s environmentally friendly because wood is renewable. But burning wood in stoves and fireplaces releases a lot of harmful pollutants into the air.

Newer stoves produce less pollution, but even the cleanest wood stoves pollute more than heating with electricity or natural gas.

Even in places like Metro Vancouver—where fewer people heat with wood—wood burning still accounts for a significant share of fine particle pollution (PM2.5). The problem is even worse in valleys, where weather patterns can trap smoke near the ground.

It spreads throughout the neighborhood and affects everyone, not just those who burn wood. Pollution from smoke can get inside homes and buildings through cracks and ventilation systems—even if your windows are closed.

What’s in Wood Smoke?

Wood smoke is a complex mixture of solids, gases, and liquids, many of which are harmful to your health. Here are five of the most important pollutants commonly found in wood smoke:

PM2.5 are tiny particles that can get deep into your lungs when you breathe. They can damage lung tissue and make breathing problems like asthma worse—even at low levels.

VOCs are gases released when wood burns. Some VOCs, like benzene and acrolein, are known to cause cancer. Others, like formaldehyde, can irritate your eyes, throat, and lungs, and worsen asthma.

PAHs are chemicals formed when things like wood are burned. Short-term exposure to PAHs can cause eye or skin irritation and nausea. Long-term exposure has been linked to cancer and organ damage.

CO is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that replaces oxygen in your blood. Inhaling it can cause fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and confusion. In severe cases, it can lead to unconsciousness and death.

NO2 can lower resistance to lung infections. It can irritate the upper airways and cause shortness of breath, especially in people with lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

What are the health effects of wood smoke?

Wood smoke affects everyone. There are groups of people who are more susceptible to the effects of wood smoke:

• Infants and children
• Elderly people
• People with heart and lung conditions
• Outdoor workers
• Pregnant people
• People with diabetes

Short-term health effects of wood smoke include:

• Headaches
• Irritated eyes and throat
• Increased risk of heart attack or stroke
• Irritated airways and reduced lung function
• Increased incidence of irregular heartbeat
• Worsening lung conditions like COPD and asthma

Long-term health effects of wood smoke include:

• Increased risk of heart attack or stroke and increased blood pressure for those with risk factors for heart disease
• Babies born pre-term or with low birthweight
• More respiratory illness and middle ear infections in children
• Decreased lung function in children
• More severe and frequent asthma and COPD symptoms
• More emergency room visits and hospitalization because of asthma or COPD
• Premature death

What can we do to reduce wood smoke effects?

Consider replacing your wood burning appliance with a non-wood burning one, such as a heat pump, electric fireplace, pellet stove, or gas fireplace. Burn wisely and efficiently, if you must use a wood appliance.

Heat pumps are energy efficient options for both heating and cooling. They can provide two or three times the heat of electric baseboards for the same electricity. Although heat pumps are more expensive to install, they can provide air conditioning in summer as well.

Electric fireplaces are relatively cheap to purchase and emit no pollution at home. They can be installed anywhere, plug into a regular electrical outlet, and do not require a vent or chimney. Electric fireplaces have similar efficiency to electric baseboard heaters and are therefore less efficient than electric heat pumps.

Pellet stoves burn wood pellets. They emit less greenhouse gas than burning fossil fuel, such as natural gas. They generate some smoke, but they are far more efficient and clean burning than wood stoves. Pellet stoves can be installed anywhere a wood stove is used and have much of the same ambiance. When installed with backup power they can continue to work during power outages.

Gas fireplaces emit less PM2.5 pollution than a wood stove but do emit greenhouse gas that contribute to climate change.

Video Resources

Please watch the two videos and make sure to follow the smart burning procedures outlined.

Burning Clean: It Starts With the Wood

Wood Smoke: Tips for a Cleaner Burn

What should you do when the air is smoky?

You can reduce the amount of smoke you breathe by:

• Choosing a less strenuous activity like walking instead of jogging
• Exercising indoors
• Closing windows, vents, doors, and plugging drafts
• Using air cleaners with HEPA filter in your home

If wood smoke is a problem in your neighborhood, contact your local government and your local health authority. Some local governments have enacted bylaws to reduce smoke and to deal with problems such as illegal burning. If you suspect burning of prohibited materials, you can also contact BC’s Report ALL Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line, toll-free at 1-877-952-7277. If you live in Metro Vancouver, please visit Metro Vancouver’s Make An Air Report Quality Complaint website or call 604-436-6777.

Test Your Knowledge

Are you a wood smoke reduction expert? Take our Knowledge quiz! It takes just a few minutes to complete and you will receive a Certificate of Completion via email.