Did you know that in August of this year the City Council made changes to the Municipal Code that prohibits wood burning fireplaces? If you already have one, don’t worry; you won’t have to tear it down and you can continue to enjoy the crackle and smell of an old-fashioned log fire. But if you are planning a remodel or building any new structures you will have to be satisfied with either a gas fireplace which burns fake logs or a pellet stove which glows afire with … well, little bb sized pellets.

While these changes don’t sound too romantic, they are designed to respond to new Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Anyone who has taken an apre-turkey walk on a crisp, still Thanksgiving Day in Los Altos can attest to the thickness of the wood smoke in the air. A little hint of burning pine is nostalgic. A blanket that makes your eyes water is unhealthy.

Fueled by a dot-com economy and Sunset magazine layouts, outdoor fireplaces with Tuscan style patio rooms seem to be included in every other remodel. With the elimination of wood burning fireplaces come creative alternatives to these venues. Gas burning circular fire "pits" help to fill the void, but outdoor pizza ovens may become the work-around of choice. Section 12.64.030, item B says "…devices intended to be solely used for the preparation of food may be excluded" which means they are allowed and they can burn wood.

Also included in the code is some finger wagging about burning trash in your existing fireplace. Before you go shoving your mountain of Christmas wrappings in the old fireplace you should consider that under Section 12.64.030, item D, it says that "it is unlawful to burn garbage, plastics, rubber, paints, solvents, oil, treated wood products, particle board, coal or any other material that produces noxious or toxic emissions when burned…".

So, as you circle round your new "fire appliance" with your guests and raise your glasses in celebration you’d better make sure your flames are fueled by either pellets or pizza.

"Mommy I feel safe" are the words my 3 ½ year old daughter said as I picked her up from preschool amongst the major construction projects on Berry Avene. This cause for applause is for the seamless coordination between several parties, a few worth mentioning: the City of Los Altos Public Works Department (Jim Gustafson as project manager and David Lake as construction inspector); the Los Altos School District for the Loyola school renovation; and O’Grady Paving Inc. While the scope of this project is massive and involves temporarly turning Berry in to a one-way street, the safety and courtesy of the above mentioned parties and City departments has not gone unnoticed by the parents having to navigate a preschool drop-off and pick-up on a daily basis. Thank you Public Works Department!

Ah yes! The sights, sounds and SMELLS of winter! Yes, Smells! You know, cinnamon, apple pies, cookies, turkey, spruce trees, CO, NO2, VOCs, PM10, PAH, you know-- the smells of winter. Oh! You don’t know? Well, the cinnamon in the apple cider and the pies, those Holiday cookies, that Thanksgiving turkey, the Christmas tree and wreath, the fireplace. What do you mean, I didn’t mention the fireplace? Sure I did. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, inhalable particle matter, benzo-a-pyrene (that annoying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.) That’s what’s in that aromatically enhanced wood burning fireplace in your living room. Those smells come from burning wood. They’re commonly called "toxins" or "carcinogens." Or air pollutants. Or lung irritants. In fact, they are so bad there are state and federal regulations to control the production of these compounds. Los Altos has Ordinance 12.64 (see previous article) too, which is the code that specifies the prohibition of wood burning fireplaces and appliances in new housing! Sure—it goes up the chimney, wafts luminously overhead, so your neighbors can also share in the fragrance of the season. Of course, you are enjoying the warmth. That’s what it’s all about. Have you pulled your chair up to about 6 feet from the fire? Because, if you don’t, you aren’t going to get the benefits of the fire—most of the heat will go up the chimney along with the rest of the gas or electricity you are using to heat the indoors, while the cold air leaks back down the chimney to replace that hot air the fire just sent up (along with the gas, etc.) Vicious cycle.

See that halo surrounding your house? No, it isn’t an angel announcing the arrival of the On High. Well, on second thought, perhaps it IS the On High casting a foggy glow over your hallowed ground. Or, it could be those pesky gases again. You see, because of the cold air inversion effect, all those gases and smoke remain closer to the ground. (Remember your 9^th grade science classes where the teacher explained so patiently about how, on cold nights in the winter, when there isn’t much wind, the warm air can trap the cold air?) This can actually create a foggy effect, sort of like a halo, around your house. Keeps foul smells from evaporating, too!

Well, OK you’re probably right. There really IS nothing cozier or more romantic than a good fire in the hearth. So, let’s make sure you’ve got what I call, the Wood Burner’s Advanced Degree in Fireplace Burning:

Now, one more word of caution. If your sweetie suffers from asthma, emphysema, or other respiratory or cardiopulmonary ailments, you’d better not light up. She’ll be miserable, you’ll be miserable, and there goes your "perfect" evening. You’ll have to get rid of the fire or the sweetie will get rid of you! It’s very hard to snuggle with someone whose lungs are rattling and wheezing and gasping for air. Not even your best bottle of wine will help that one. It’s those darned PM10’s again—the inhalable particulate matter that’ll do it every time. Sticks to the lining of the lungs, it does.

You say, you’ve sent the Little Darlin’s out back to roast marshmallows in the outdoor fireplace? No problem. Just be sure you don’t let them start the fire with garbage, swill, refuse or waste matter. No, you can’t send them over to the park to do it, either. They have to stay in their own backyard. This is in accordance (be sure to use this word when you are explaining all of this to them) with City Ordinance 6.12, but it’s OK for them to use the charcoal briquettes or seasoned (there’s that word again) wood from Grandpa’s woodpile over yonder. If you want to burn dry waste matter or refuse, you can do that only with the combined permission of the County Health Officer, Fire Chief or Acting Fire Chief, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District first. The other things you have to be sure the kids control are the smoke and odor. Smoke and odor must also stay in your own backyard. Otherwise your marshmallow roast becomes a public nuisance, which is in violation of the City Code 11.50.050, and our local Los Altos constabulary may be called by the neighbors.

So, with winter upon us, and a devastating fire season just past, be smart about what you burn and how you burn it. Know your local codes, and keep your fireplace cleaned frequently. Pay attention to the type of wood you are burning, and remember to close the flue when your fire is finished, so you don’t end up paying PG&E more than you need to! And then you can sing along with Frank or Bing. Or The Doors, and "Come on Baby, Light My Fire."

A little more than last month…

Co-President Mike Abrams

Co-President Dianne Edmonds

Vice President Ken Lorell

Treasurer Dianne Edmonds

Secretary Kathy Wright

Editor Vickie Clements

Housing Chair Kathy Putman

Membership Chair Leslie Lodestro

Traffic Chair Bill Crook

Contributor Karen Greguras

Webmaster Jerry Wright

Advisors Tom Anderson

Lou Becker

David Casas

Kate Disney