"Check Before You Light"
Check Before You Light" is a voluntary program requesting residents to refrain from using wood stoves and fireplaces during poor air quality. The program runs from November through February. When an advisory is issued it will be posted on this website and sent to the media.
The 2009-2010 voluntary Check Before You Light Program Review and Staff Report March 18, 2010.
Check Before You Light TV Commercial
How To "Check Before You Light":
- Check Our Burn Hotline: 896-2537 or toll free at 866-240-0859 (press 3 and #).
- Check Your E-Mail:
Receive an e-mail for Air Quality Forecasts: Sign Up (Choose AQI 101 or higher for Advisory Days)
- Check Our Web Site: For Today's Air Quality
- Check the Media: Advisories will be issued to newspapers, radio and television stations.
Reduce Smoke When You Do Light:
- Use only dry, well-seasoned wood. Properly seasoned wood is darker, has cracks in the grain and weighs less.
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Keep your chimney swept and ash bin clean to improve air flow and reduce smoke.
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Stack wood loosely in your firebox, so plenty of air circulates around it.
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Keep the flame active. Don't let your fire smolder overnight - keep enough air in the fire to maintain a flame.
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Check your chimney regularly to see how well your fire is burning.
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When storing wood, stack it under covering in a dry ventilated area.
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Properly install and maintain your EPA certified wood burning appliance. Your new appliance burns much cleaner and uses less fuel!
For more detailed information on the Check Before You Light Program see: Report to the Governing Board October 15, 2009: 2009-2010 "Check Before You Light" Voluntary Program
"Check Before You Light" is implemented when air pollution approaches unhealthy levels. The program is aimed at keeping pollution levels of particulate matter below the health-based standards. The following files in pdf format provide additional information: